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ISYS Technologies has quietly settled a lawsuit against Google and others and stopped efforts to sell theXi3 ChromiumPC that it had touted earlier this year as the first desktop computer to use Google's Chrome operating system.
Utah-based ISYS Technologies sued Google Inc., Samsung Electronics Corp., Acer America Corp, Amazon.com and Best Buy Co. in June, claiming they were infringing on its trademark for the ChromiumPC, a small but fully functioning computer that was to be sold by the ISYS subsidiary Xi3 Corp.
David Politis, spokesman for the privately held Salt Lake City company, said terms of the settlement were confidential, but he confirmed that Xi3 had decided not to sell the Chrome-based computers.
"For reasons that are not going to be disclosed by me, we have decided to abandon our efforts to register the ChromiumPC trademark," he said.
Politis declined to elaborate but said "the shareholders and company's management are very pleased with the terms and conditions of the settlement."
Asked whether the company might offer its small signature modular computer with a Chrome operating system in the future, Politis said only, "Maybe."
In May, Google announced that the first laptops running Chrome would go on sale in June. A week later, ISYS touted the Xi3 ChromiumPC Modular Computer as "the world's first desktop computer running Google's Chrome operating system," and said it would be offered for sale later in the year.
But Google countersued in July, saying it was entitled to own the Chromium trademark and that ISYS also did not have a license for its use. (Google hasn't announced any other desktops computers using its operating system.)
Last month, the two sides agreed to a settlement.
Google representatives did not return emails seeking comment.
Xi3, which launched itself publicly earlier this year, has begun production of its modular computer, a re-engineered device that has all the functions of a larger desktop but uses significantly less electricity and takes only seconds to boot up.
Without a Chrome operating system, Xi3 offers machines with a Linux-based operating system or Windows 7.
"We are focused on business-to-business and business-to-government [sales] right now," said Politis, though the machines can be ordered by consumers.
He said Xi3 has about 40 employees.
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