TORONTO – Headphone-maker Beats Electronics is being sued by competitor Bose Corp. for allegedly infringing on patents for its noise-cancelling technology.
According to a complaint filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission on Sunday, Bose claims its competitor infringed on five of its patents in its Beats Studio and Beats Studio Wireless headphones. In the complaint, Bose alleges it has lost sales over the infringement.
The noise-cancelling technology uses sound waves to cancel out unwanted noise for the user.
The legal action comes just months after Apple agreed to buy Beats Electronics for US$3 billion.
READ MORE: EU antitrust body clears Apple’s $3bn Beats deal
On Monday, the European Union’s antitrust authority approved the deal.
The takeover of Beats Electronics and Beats Music announced in May for $2.6 billion in cash and $400 million in stock is the most expensive acquisition in Apple’s 38-year history.
According to a report by Bloomberg, a separate civil suit filed in Wilmington, Delaware on Monday makes the same allegations.
Bose first began selling headphones with noise-cancelling technology in 2000.
Beats declined to comment on the case.
– With files from The Associated Press
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