NTP sues Apple, Google, Microsoft, others over cell phone patents

NTP said Friday it has filed a lawsuit against six of the world's leading cell phone makers for infringing on its patents for delivering email to cell phones.

The company, which successfully sued Research In Motion and won a settlement of more than $600 million, is targeting Apple, Google, HTC, LG Electronics, Microsoft, and Motorola in a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. NTP alleges the companies are infringing eight of NTP's patents related to the delivery of email over a wireless network. Each of the defendants in the case either makes cell phones or software used for delivering wireless email.

The tiny company, which battled RIM in court for five years over patent infringement, has been derided as a patent troll, trying to hold the wireless industry hostage. But the company's founders say this is not the case.

For more on this story, read NTP sues Apple, Google, HTC, LG, Microsoft and Motorola on CNET News.