Google won an early round in a patent lawsuit regarding the technology that drives Google Earth, the search giant’s lawyer said on Monday. The suit, filed by Skyline Software Systems in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, charges Google Earth with patent infringement. The case was originally filed against Keyhole, the company that developed the software that drives Google Earth. Google acquired Keyhole in October 2004. After the acquisition, Skyline added Google as a defendant. A year later, Skyline asked the judge for an injunction that would prevent Google from offering the Google Earth service. That lag time allowed Google’s lawyer to argue that Skyline couldn’t credibly say Google Earth was causing it irreparable harm if it waited so long to file the injunction. The judge ruled against the injunction, but the lawsuit is still pending. Google Earth is a free application that show maps and satellite images of practically any location in the world. On Monday, Google introduced an upgrade to the program that features a new user interface and larger index of images. Skyline sells software that offers a 3-D visualization of the Earth compiled through satellite and aerial photography images. It targets customers in the military, communications, utility and civil engineering industries.-Nancy Gohring, IDG News Service (Dublin Bureau) Related Link: Google Earth Adds Images, Other FeaturesCheck out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content feature 4 remedies to avoid cloud app migration headaches The compelling benefits of using proprietary cloud-native services come at a price: vendor lock-in. Here are ways CIOs can effectively plan without getting stuck. By Robert Mitchell Nov 29, 2023 9 mins CIO Managed Service Providers Managed IT Services case study Steps Gerresheimer takes to transform its IT CIO Zafer Nalbant explains what the medical packaging manufacturer does to modernize its IT through AI, automation, and hybrid cloud. By Jens Dose Nov 29, 2023 6 mins CIO SAP ServiceNow feature Per Scholas redefines IT hiring by diversifying the IT talent pipeline What started as a technology reclamation nonprofit has since transformed into a robust, tuition-free training program that seeks to redefine how companies fill tech skills gaps with rising talent. By Sarah K. White Nov 29, 2023 11 mins Diversity and Inclusion Diversity and Inclusion Hiring news Saudi Arabia will host the World Expo 2030 in Riyadh By Andrea Benito Nov 28, 2023 4 mins Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe