Apple sued for alleged patent infringement with ‘Do Not Disturb While Driving’ feature

Apple is facing a lawsuit from tech startup SMTM for an alleged patent infringement with its ‘Do Not Disturb While Driving’ iPhone feature.

The patent, titled ‘Mobile device inactive mode and inactive mode verification,’ was originally filed 2013 and approved in 2015. SMTM Technology later purchased the patent from its inventor, Nick Bovis. Apple, meanwhile, introduced its Do Not Disturb While Driving feature last fall with iOS 11.

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Now, SMTM alleges that “Apple’s Do Not Disturb While Driving features for iOS 11 mirror the patented elements comprising the Bovis Patent.” Additionally, the company argues that “instead of licensing the Bovis Patent, Apple gambled that SMTM and Mr. Bovis would not have the business acumen or the capital to vindicate their claims under the Bovis Patent.”

As part of the lawsuit, SMTM is asking for a jury trial, damages, legal costs and a permanent injunction against Apple stopping it from infringing on the patent for the remainder of its lifespan.

SMTM is infamous for being a “patent troll” in the tech industry, having previously tried and failed to sue Microsoft over the same mobile device patent.

Apple has not yet publicly responded about the lawsuit.

Via: Apple Insider