Company sues Apple over iPod, iTunes technologies

LOS ANGELES, March 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. consumer electronics and computer maker Apple was sued over its best-selling iPod media player and related iTunes web service, an Internet company said Wednesday.

ZapMedia Services Inc. said it has filed a patent infringement suit against the Silicon Valley giant for unspecified damages related to Apple's iTunes Internet site and media players such as iPod.

ZapMedia said that in the late 1990s, its predecessor company created a system that would allow consumers to "gain control over their digital media assets," and filed two patents to protect its intellectual property.

The company claims that it met with Apple to discuss its offerings, and Apple violated ZapMedia's patents when it released the iPod in 2001 and the iTunes store in 2003.