The iPhone 7 Plus was Apple’s first mobile to incorporate a dual rear camera. This was followed by all other models including the iPhone 8 Plus and the latest iPhone XS and XS Max. Now Apple is accused by the company Corephotnics, specializing in the design and development of lenses for smartphones, for having violated its camera patents on these iPhone models. Interestingly, Corephotonics was recently acquired by Samsung.
Corephotonics is an Israeli company specialized in designing, developing and providing different brands, designs and lenses specially designed to be implanted in smartphones. With this company, founded in 2012, firms such as Oppo, MediaTek or Samsung itself have collaborated and collaborated. The Koreans closed the acquisition of the company this year, to have greater control over the design of the cameras that will be implemented in the future Galaxy.
Violation of 10 patents
Now Apple has been accused by Corephotonics of violating ten company patents related to the dual cameras present on the iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. According to the demand, Apple was in negotiations with Corephotonics since 2012, for the integration of its technologies in its future iPhone. The negotiations suffered several ups and downs, until they finally broke down in 2017. By then, Apple had already received a great deal of information about Corephotonics technology and shortly after those of Cupertino launched the iPhone 7 Plus with dual camera design.
The Samsung-owned firm claims that all iPhone with dual cameras from the iPhone 7 Plus infringe Corephotonics patents. The technologies cited include from dynamic change between objectives, to zoom operations using both sensors. The documentation attached to the lawsuit also indicates that Apple has violated patents related to miniature telephoto lenses. The lawsuit describes that “Apple was very aware” of the company’s patents, and that they have tried to protect themselves by presenting very similar design patents, in some cases modifying those patents in order to pass them on their own.
Compensation
In the claims of the lawsuit, Corephotonics requests compensation for damages, in addition to permanent measures being taken against sales of these devices, in addition to payment of fees and expenses arising from the process. At the moment Apple has not ruled on it. Recall that the apple company will present its new iPhone 11 next month, with a rear camera configuration unpublished in the company.
