Apple has requested a federal court docket to declare that its iPhones, iPads, AirPods and Beats headphones don’t infringe three spatial audio patents owned by audio expertise firm Boomcloud 360.
Apple filed the criticism on Wednesday (August 5) within the US District Courtroom for the Southern District of California, looking for a declaratory judgment of noninfringement of US Patent Nos. 10,313,820, 10,721,564 and 10,757,527.
The corporate is represented by legislation agency Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and has demanded a jury trial.
Since January, Boomcloud has filed a sequence of patent infringement lawsuits in opposition to corporations that promote or use Apple merchandise.
Apple was not named as a defendant in any of these circumstances, however Boomcloud has pointed to Apple gadgets as infringing.
The options at concern are constructed into Apple‘s gadgets and its music service.
Apple Music rolled out Spatial Audio with assist for Dolby Atmos in June 2021, providing it free to subscribers and enjoying it by default on AirPods and Beats headphones.
The corporate later started paying as much as 10% greater royalties for tracks out there in Spatial Audio, and mentioned in early 2024 that over 90% of its listeners had skilled music within the format.
Apple Music raised its subscription costs worldwide on July 17, its first enhance since 2022.
The three patents are owned by Boomcloud 360 and canopy methods for enhancing stereo audio and canceling crosstalk between audio system.
Every of the patents names Zachary Seldess of San Diego as an inventor, with the ‘564 patent additionally crediting James Tracey and Alan Kraemer.
The ‘820 patent, titled “Sub-Band Spatial Audio Enhancement,” issued in June 2019.
The ‘564 patent, “Subband Spatial and Crosstalk Cancellation for Audio Reporoduction [sic],” issued in July 2020, and the ‘527 patent, “Crosstalk Cancellation B-Chain,” issued in August 2020.
On January 30, 2026, Boomcloud sued AT&T and T-Cellular within the US District Courtroom for the Jap District of Texas, accusing the carriers of infringing the three patents.
In infringement contentions served on March 19, Boomcloud alleged that the carriers infringe by promoting Apple gadgets starting from the iPhone 11 to the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air, together with numerous iPads, AirPods and Beats merchandise.
Apple mentioned Boomcloud‘s declare charts assert that its merchandise “carry out[] spatial audio processing” or “assist ‘Spatialize Stereo.’”
On June 17, Boomcloud filed additional lawsuits over the identical patents in opposition to retailers Walmart, Goal and Finest Purchase, once more within the Jap District of Texas.
Apple mentioned these retailer fits didn’t title particular Apple merchandise, however argued that “an precise and justiciable controversy exists between Apple and Boomcloud” primarily based on the sooner contentions.
In its personal criticism, which you’ll be able to learn right here, Apple argues that its gadgets and audio options “don’t straight or not directly infringe any declare of the Patents-in-Go well with, actually or beneath the doctrine of equivalents.”
Apple additionally pointed to Boomcloud‘s public web site, which it mentioned “suggests Boomcloud believes, and is representing to its guests, that Boomcloud’s expertise is integrated in Apple merchandise, together with Beats headphones and AirPods merchandise.”
The submitting reproduced a picture from the positioning carrying a CNN quote that learn: “…with Beats headphones, the sound was off-the-charts superior.”
Apple additional cited Boomcloud‘s declare, made in its case in opposition to AT&T, that its “novel audio rendering options … have been licensed and applied by a number of giant corporations, together with … Qualcomm.”
In its criticism, Apple requested the court docket to declare that it doesn’t infringe, induce infringement of, or contribute to infringement of the patents.
Apple additionally requested the court docket to search out the case “distinctive” beneath US patent legislation and to award it its prices and attorneys’ charges.
Boomcloud 360, which relies in Encinitas, California, develops cloud-based audio enhancement expertise for shopper gadgets together with smartphones, headphones and audio system.
Its patents have been prosecuted by legislation agency Fenwick & West, whereas the infringement fits have been dealt with by Russ August & Kabat, in line with Apple‘s criticism.Music Enterprise Worldwide
