A German inventor named Andreas Pavel may hit Apple with lawsuits over the iPod, according to UK-based publication The Independent. Pavel patented a design for a portable music system he called the “Stereobelt” in the 1970s, and while it never went into production, Sony’s Walkman did — after Pavel filed his patent. Lawsuits ensued, and Sony recently offered Pavel a multimillion dollar payout to settle his long-standing disputes. Pavel is purportedly considering using his payout from Sony to fund litigation against Apple for the iPod in Italy and Canada, where his patents may still be valid.
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