Browsing for Trouble? Intuit Defends Synchronized Browser Patent Infringement Claim

Intuit Inc. (“Intuit”), the owner of accounting software, TurboTax, has reportedly successfully defended against a claim alleging that TurboTax’s co-browsing feature infringes a patent owned by Samesurf Inc. (“Samesurf”). The successful defence came by way of a motion for summary judgment on the basis of non-infringement, thereby avoiding a full trial.

Samesurf’s patent, U.S. Patent No. 9,483,448, relates to a software feature that enables real-time, shareable web browsing data by transferring URLs and related information between users. In its claim, Samesurf alleged that a TurboTax feature allowing for synchronized internet browsing fell within the scope of the patent.

In finding that TurboTax did not infringe the patent, U.S District Judge Robert S. Huie held that TurboTax’s co-browsing functionality did not provide “substantially the same fully interactive browsing experience” as the patented technology. Further, the Court also noted that each platform had features the other did not, underscoring material differences between the two systems. Those distinctions were central to the court’s finding that Intuit’s software did not infringe Samesurf’s patent.

According to Bloomberg Law News, this motion resolved the last of a series of patent issues between Samesurf and Intuit.