Apple is being sued for allegedly copying a smartphone camera design for use in the iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 8 Plus. Israeli startup Corephotonics claims that it had patented the technology first, and that Apple had knowingly stolen the designs without licensing it.
Corephotonics says that it had met with Apple representatives with the intention of licensing the camera technology. However, the negotiator had apparently “expressed contempt” for the company; saying that it could easily infringe on the patents with little to no consequences.
The technology in question appears to be concerning the dual camera configuration on the latest iPhones. Which is why the Plus-sized devices are being called into question, and not the smaller versions. It’s currently unclear which part of the camera infringes on the patents, as no details have been made public.
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Corephotonics itself is a relatively new startup that has raised some $50 million (about RM200 million) from high profile investors around the world. This includes a recent round of funding in January that raised money from Apple manufacturing partner Foxconn.
It will be years before we see an outcome of this lawsuit. Apple is no stranger to having to appear in the courts; having fought multiple battles against Samsung over several patents.
[Source: Reuters]
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