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One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) sued for patent infringement

The OLPC foundation originally hoped to build and sell laptops to schools at around $100 per unit. Now the price stands just shy of $200 each (for an order of 10,000) and production of these child-sized laptops went into mass production last month.

However, Lancor, a company based in Natick Massachusetts, is to sue the association for using keyboard software that infringes one of their patents. The patent covers a four-way shift design and software, which allows for greater flexibility when working with multiple languages.

Lancor owns the patents in Lagos Nigeria and have requested the Federal High Court there for "substantial" damages and for a permanent injunction to stop OLPC from producing and selling their laptop.

Ade Oyegbola, Lancor's CEO commented on possible further action against the OLPC, "In addition to the Nigerian lawsuit, Lancor is looking at filing a patent lawsuit in U.S. court within three weeks, if the case is not settled by then".

Robert Fadel, OLPC's director of finance and operations said, "To OLPC's knowledge, all of the intellectual property used in the XO Laptop is either owned by OLPC or properly licensed. Until we have a copy of the claim and have had time to review it, we will not be commenting further on the matter".

OLPC in an initiative to launch the laptops and see them sold in the domestic and international markets have launched a limited time offer of 'Give One, Get One' available until the 31 December 2007. The website sums it up quite nicely 'You can donate the revolutionary XO laptop to a child in a developing nation, and also receive one for the child in your life in recognition of your contribution'.

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