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

Thursday March 28, 2013 10:16 am PDT by Jordan Golson

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

Left: Hex Solo Wallet for iPhone 5, Right: Callet for iPhone 4
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

(View all)

mr.steevo

79 months ago

They are completely different. One has cards in it.

Rating: 27 Votes

prowlmedia

79 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.

Rating: 14 Votes

CBJammin103

79 months ago

Lol?

They don't even really look that similar as iPhone cases go. :confused:

Rating: 12 Votes

skorpien

79 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.

Rating: 11 Votes

gazmac

79 months ago

Yuk

What a stupid design.

Rating: 10 Votes