What, Apple sued for its iPhone? Yes, Apple got into legal trouble for its hottest selling product, iPhone, when a Swiss company filed a lawsuit against Apple, claiming that iPhone violates its patent for an "electronic device – an electronic book”. The Berne, Switzerland-based, Monec Holding filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple, in District Court for Eastern Virginia, on Monday.

In the patent infringement suit, Monec Holding accused Apple of "patent infringement, unfair trade practices, monopolization, and tortious interference for allegedly treading on its January 2002 patent No. 6,335,678 titled Electronic device, preferably an electronic book.”

The lawsuit from Monec came after Amazon released an app – Kindle for iPhone that allows the iPhone and the iPod Touch users to read Kindle ebooks on their devices. However, Monec, in its complaint, claimed that it was awarded a patent seven years ago for an "electronic device, preferably an electronic book”. Thus, Apple’s iPhone infringes its patent, claimed the Swiss company.

To prove the infringement claim, Monec, in its filing, mentioned 23 iPhone qualities, including the 3.5-inch widescreen multi-touch display of iPhone, its built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and its capability to let users read an ebook on the display of the device. The filing said, “Apple iPhone infringes on the Monec patent by making, selling, and/or offering for sale one or more of its products and services, including, but not limited to, its Apple iPhone, alone and in combination with other Apple products and services.”

Monec claimed that it is "in the business of developing and marketing equipment for the transmission of data to mobile electronic communications systems, managing and utilizing patents in this area and awarding licenses." According to the mission statement on its website, Monec is "a leading innovator for mobile, globally usable communication solutions...with user-friendly products and pioneering solutions, Monec provides companies and users with secure, wireless access solutions which offer highest degree of flexibility, functionality, speed and independence."

From the claims that Monec has made in its lawsuit, it appears that it has sued Apple because of Amazon’s app, but it not clear why it has sued Apple instead of Amazon. However, Monec describes iPhone not Amazon Kindle in its lawsuit. In its lawsuit, Monec is seeking damages, including lost profits, reasonable royalties, and interest, as well as attorneys' fees and costs from Apple. Last year, Monec sued HP for patent infringement; it sued HP in the same US District Court in Virginia for violating the same patent in regard to the HP Compaq 2710p Notebook PC.