Apple Sued for Infringing on Touch-Screen Patent

Apple this week was hit with a patent lawsuit over the use of touch-screen panels in products like the iPad Air.

Hilltop Technology on Wednesday filed suit in Texas district court, alleging that Apple is infringing on a patent it owns for a "capacitive type touch panel."

The patent was first filed in April 2008 and issued in Jan. 2011, according to Hilltop. The company alleges that "all Apple products having a capacitive type touch panel, including its iPad Air," infringe on this patent.

According to Hilltop, it "has suffered monetary damages in an amount not yet determined, and will continue to suffer damages in the future unless Apple's infringing activities are enjoined by this Court."

The firm is demanding an injunction and damages, among other things.

Hilltop filed similar lawsuits against TPK Holding and Wintek Corporation in November and against AU Optronics in September. Thus far, AU Optronics has filed its response, denying that its technology infringes on Hilltop patents.

While Hilltop goes after Apple in this particular case, most new technology includes touch-screen displays at this point - from the iPad Air to Android-based devices and new Windows devices. Hilltop likely sees a lot of dollar signs with Apple, though. In a recent earnings report, Cupertino revealed that it sold 51 million iPhones and 26 million iPads during the quarter ending Dec. 28.