Michigan-based networking company, Cygnus Systems, Inc., alleges that some products of Google, Microsoft, and Apple are 'patent infringers.' It has sued the three technology giants for allegedly violating its recently awarded patent - US 7,346,850 - called "System and method for iconic software environment management."

According to Cygnus, the patent's technology includes "a method and system for storing, navigating, and accessing files within an operating system through the use of a graphical thumbnail representing the video display of the active document within the active application."

In the lawsuit, the products cited by Cygnus for patent infringement are: Google's Chrome; Microsoft's Vista and Internet Explorer 8; and Apple's iPhone, Safari, and Mac OS X. Cygnus has also said that it would target other companies too like Adobe, Opera, iPhoto, Windows Mobile; and has sought the typical damages as well as permanent injunction to prevent further infringement.

There appear to be some incongruity in Cygnus' complaint - particularly the targeting of Google, which does not actually make software "within an operating system." Presently, Google Chrome, which has been complained against, is offered as a free download for Windows XP SP2 and Vista.

Moreover, Cygnus originally filed the patent application on June 12, 1998, and its continuation on June 8, 2001; and the patent was awarded on March 18, 2008. What is surprising is that within months, Cygnus devised a lawsuit strategy to recover "an award of damages adequate to compensate plaintiff for the infringement that has occurred!"