In the world of patent law, suing is a common way of handling disputes, but things do not normally reach this level. Paul Allen, the billionaire tech mogul who was part of the founding of Microsoft, Inc. with Bill Gates has now sued both Apple, Inc. and Google, Inc. along with nine other companies. Allen’s suit states that the companies are making use of technology developed around 10 years ago at his lab in the Silicon Valley area of California. While Allen did not develop the tech advances himself, he does hold claim to the patents and is now taking the companies to task in aggressive fashion, among them some of the most well known names in the tech industry because he claims they are using patented technology from his lab, Interval Research Corp. While litigation over patent disputes is presently on the rise, both the United States Congress and courts are attempting to keep it under control in an effort to avoid a similar situation seen in the early 1900′s during the time of Thomas Edison and other star inventors who viciously defended their patents and tied up courts.

Aside from names like Apple and Google, Allen is also pursuing eBay, Netflix, AOL and Facebook. Four patents are among the key parts of the suit and are said to be primary components of the companies named in the lawsuit which does not set a dollar amount on the damages. If successful, this legal action could seriously shake up the tech world, experts have said.