Callet Sues Hex and Apple Over 'Slavish Copy' of iPhone Case/Wallet Design

Callet World is suing case-maker Hex over that company's Solo Wallet iPhone case and credit card holder. Callet alleges Hex's case is a direct copy of a case design that Callet holds a design patent for.

Callethex


Callet has sued both Hex and Apple in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York for violating a design patent of Callet's design of a iPhone case and credit card holder. The company accuses Hex of manufacturing the infringing design, and Apple for selling it. Apple does not carry the Callet in its stores.

Defendants’ Solo Wallet Case and Pretty Sweet Solo Wallet Case products are exemplary. The copying is so pervasive, that the defendants’ products appear to be Callet World products with the same rectangular shape with rounded corners, integral card holder on the outwardly facing side of the phone cover, and gently curving edges on the back and side. Hex had many options in developing its products. Indeed, earlier Hex products did not embody the same Callet World designs. On information and belief, Hex chose to infringe Callet World’s patent rights through the design of its Solo Wallet Case, Pretty Sweet Solo Wallet Case and similar products and it did so willfully.

Callet is asking the court for a judgement that the defendants have willfully infringed on the patent, an order enjoining them from continuing to infringe on it, and a judgment award to compensate Callet for financial damages.

It appears that Callet's claim is primarily with Hex and that Apple is being targeted here because it has deep corporate pockets. Like many major corporations, Apple is sued numerous times each year over a wide variety of matters.

MacRumors has uploaded the full initial filing on Scribd.

Top Rated Comments

mr.steevo Avatar
144 months ago
They are completely different. One has cards in it.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
prowlmedia Avatar
144 months ago
Seriously!? This is not front page news.

1. No one cares.
2. I had a iPod touch gen 1 wallet case from case-mate in 2007 with exactly the same design.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CBJammin103 Avatar
144 months ago
Lol?

They don't even really look that similar as iPhone cases go. :confused:
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
skorpien Avatar
144 months ago
I think they're horrible ideas. The last thing I need is for somebody to jack my phone AND my credit cards in one fell swoop. Not to mention, hold one of those up to your ear to talk and you make yourself a bigger target to thieves.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SockRolid Avatar
144 months ago
You're a case maker.
Your life will be hard, then you will die.
Deal with it.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
QCassidy352 Avatar
144 months ago
The hex one looks nice! The callet... Not so much.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Delta Feature

Delta Game Emulator Now Available From App Store on iPhone

Wednesday April 17, 2024 9:58 am PDT by
Game emulator apps have come and gone since Apple announced App Store support for them on April 5, but now popular game emulator Delta from developer Riley Testut is available for download. Testut is known as the developer behind GBA4iOS, an open-source emulator that was available for a brief time more than a decade ago. GBA4iOS led to Delta, an emulator that has been available outside of...
iOS NES Emulator Bimmy Feature

NES Emulator for iPhone and iPad Now Available on App Store [Removed]

Tuesday April 16, 2024 11:33 am PDT by
The first approved Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) emulator for the iPhone and iPad was made available on the App Store today following Apple's rule change. The emulator is called Bimmy, and it was developed by Tom Salvo. On the App Store, Bimmy is described as a tool for testing and playing public domain/"homebrew" games created for the NES, but the app allows you to load ROMs for any...
iPhone 15 Pro Action Button Translate

All iPhone 16 Models to Feature Action Button, But Usefulness Debated

Tuesday April 16, 2024 6:54 am PDT by
Last September, Apple's iPhone 15 Pro models debuted with a new customizable Action button, offering faster access to a handful of functions, as well as the ability to assign Shortcuts. Apple is poised to include the feature on all upcoming iPhone 16 models, so we asked iPhone 15 Pro users what their experience has been with the additional button so far. The Action button replaces the switch ...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With the New App Store Delta Game Emulator

Wednesday April 17, 2024 12:19 pm PDT by
A decade ago, developer Riley Testut released the GBA4iOS emulator for iOS, and since it was against the rules at the time, Apple put a stop to downloads. Emulators have been a violation of the App Store rules for years, but that changed on April 5 when Apple suddenly reversed course and said that it was allowing retro game emulators on the App Store. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel ...
iOS 18 Siri Integrated Feature

iOS 18 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Friday April 12, 2024 11:11 am PDT by
iOS 18 is expected to be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. iOS 18 is rumored to include new generative AI features for Siri and many apps, and Apple plans to add RCS support to the Messages app for an improved texting experience between iPhones and Android devices. The update is also expected to introduce a more...