Apple Involved in First Litigation Over Apple Watch Patent Lawsuit

It happened with the iPhone. It happened with the iPad. Now, over a month after Apple first made it available, the tech giant has been sued for patent infringement over its newest big product, the Apple Watch.

The Apple Watch Patent Lawsuit

According to a lawsuit filed in Missouri federal court on June 5, a married couple who co-owns a patent issued in 2013 is suing Apple for violating a claim for “receiving electronic signals such as text messages on a vibrating device strapped to a user’s wrist.” The Apple Watch similarly vibrates when a user receives a message through the device. The claim is seemingly broad, but the couple—who doesn’t look like your typical patent troll—does hold the patent for it.

Apple is no stranger to patent infringement litigation. The company has been involved in lawsuits with another technology, Ericsson, over the iPhone and the iPad in other countries. As long as Apple keeps putting out new, big products, it can probably anticipate that patent litigation will come with those releases.

Sources: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/08/ip-apple-watch-lawsuit-idUSL1N0YU2BL20150608 http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/st-louis-inventors-allege-apple-watch-infringes-patent/article_dc1a9dd7-f020-5465-ae20-b75351e72523.html http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-08/ericsson-sues-apple-in-europe-over-mobile-phone-patent-royalties-i9f7h7r9

About the Firm:

Klemchuk LLP is a litigation, intellectual property, transactional, and international business law firm dedicated to protecting innovation. The firm provides tailored legal solutions to industries including software, technology, retail, real estate, consumer goods, ecommerce, telecommunications, restaurant, energy, media, and professional services. The firm focuses on serving mid-market companies seeking long-term, value-added relationships with a law firm. Learn more about experiencing law practiced differently and our local counsel practice.

The firm publishes Intellectual Property Trends (latest developments in IP law), Conversations with Innovators (interviews with thought leaders), Leaders in Law (insights from law leaders), Culture Counts (thoughts on law firm culture and business), and Legal Insights (in-depth analysis of IP, litigation, and transactional law).