Online Casino Firms Sued for Patent Infringement

Online casino software provider Playtech and three other firms are facing patent litigation charges initiated by an Austrian company. Lubar’s chief executive Yaakov Rafeali claims that the firm’s copyright for its remote online casino gambling system has been infringed by all four companies. Subsequently, a lawsuit has been filed with the Tel Aviv District Court against online casino software firm Playtech Cyprus Ltd for patent infringement.

In the lawsuit, Lubar names three other online casino sites as co-defendants. Among them is well known online casino group Empire Online, controlled by CEO Noam Lanir. According to the claimant, tests at virtual gambling sites were used to assist in the development of the Lubar system which is responsible for making online casino gambling possible. Industry analysts say that while the details of the patent are yet to confirmed, it may relate to video streaming technology, the subject of controversial legal cases in the past.

Rafaeli claims that the online casino firm is the owner of similar patents in Australia and the U.S. Lubar was also in the process of applying for patents in several European countries in an attempt to market its online casino gaming technology worldwide. The defendants in the case have so far refrained from issuing any public statements.