An inventor filed a patent-infrigement suit against Apple, claiming that he is the one that patented an iPhone-like mobile Web surfing feature. The suit has been filed by a holding company called EMG Technology, which looks after the interests of inventor Elliot Gottfurcht.

"The '196 patent claims cover the display of Internet content reformatted from HTML to XML on mobile devices--the industry standard currently displayed by the iPhone," said EMG’s adviser Stanley Gibson during the press release that announced the lawsuit. The patent describes an apparatus used for manipulating the screen of a wireless device for viewing, zooming and scrolling Internet content.

The company claims that the patent also covers "the technology for manipulating a region of the screen for zooming and scrolling." EMG’s patent was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office under the U.S. Patent number 7,441,196 on March 13, 2006, and was granted on October 21, 2008.

“The ‘196 patent covers the simplified interface of reformatted mobile content to provide optimum viewing and navigation with single touches on a small screen,” stated Mr. Stanley Gibson, a partner at Jeffer, Magels, Butler & Marmaro, which is the law firm that filed the suit on behalf of EMG Technology.

Just as expected, Apple spokeswoman Susan Lundgren declined to address the matter, saying that the company does not discuss pending litigation.

There are several other companies in the industry using similar technologies, so the outcome of the trial will surely be followed by many.