Swedish company sues Appl...

Source: Joseph Keller/iMore

What you need to know

Apple is being sued by a Swedish company over two iOS features Neonode says it holds patents for.

As reported by AppleInsider:

A Swedish company named Neonode has filed a lawsuit claiming that Apple features like QuickPath and slide-to-unlock infringe on its patents.

The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, claims that Apple's gesture-based iOS navigation and QuickPath typing features directly are in direct infringement of Neonode's intellectual property.

The two patents cited in the suit pertain to "gestured-based interactions with touch-sensitive displays" and "tap-activatable icons."

According to the report, the patents were granted in 2012, however were filed for in 2002. Interestingly, Apple previously sued Samsung and Motorola over its own 'slide-to-unlock' patent, and Neonode's patent in question was used by Samsung in the defense. Now, Neonode is going after Apple:

Now, nearly eight years later, Neonode is again suing Apple for further touch-based gesture controls in devices like the iPhone 11 Pro and newer iPad Pro variants, which ditched the Home button for a home screen indicator and swipe up-to-unlock feature.

Neonode reportedly claims that Apple is also directly infringing on Neonode's patents by provisioning third-party swipe keyboards on Apple's own servers and because the apps can be downloaded to Apple devices. Because of the third-party claim, the suit extends beyond the new devices mentioned to models as old as the iPhone 4s and the iPad Air 2.

Neonode says it has licensed its technology to some "high-profile" firms, but not Apple. It is seeking a jury trial, damages, and an injunction against Apple using the technology.

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