Itracks and Artafact in online qual dispute

US-- Online qual software makers Itracks and Artafact are embroiled in a patent dispute over online focus group software.

Canadian firm Itracks filed a lawsuit for patent infringement in the District Court of Massachusetts earlier this year. It claims that California-based Artafact's Online Focus Group Software and Diary Bulletin Board products infringe its patent for a “system and method of conducting focus groups using remotely located participants over a computer network”.

The patent, which dates from 2001, was originally obtained by online research agency Greenfield Online and later acquired by Itracks.

In a counterclaim Artafact denied that it had infringed the patent, which it says is invalid because it arose from incomplete and misleading information given to the US Patent and Trademark Office – allegations that Itracks has in turn denied.

Itracks is seeking unspecified damages and an injunction against further infringement of the patent by Artafact. A final pre-trial conference is scheduled for September next year.

Author: Robert Bain

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