Biometric Sensor Company Valencell Accuses Apple of Stealing Technology for Apple Watch

Biometric sensor company Valencell today filed a lawsuit against Apple (via AppleInsider), accusing the Cupertino-based company of patent infringement, deceptive trade practices, and breach of contract, all related to dealings Apple had with Valencell before the launch of the Apple Watch.

According to Valencell, Apple expressed interest in its PerformTek heart rate sensor technology starting in 2013, leading Valencell to believe Apple would license PerformTek technology for the Apple Watch's heart rate sensor. Apple met with Valencell in 2013 and late 2014 to discuss incorporating PerformTek-powered features into the Apple Watch and is said to have expressed "great interest" in Valencell's wrist-based heart rate-sensing technology.

applewatch
Valencell demonstrated a prototype PerformTek-powered watch in 2013 to 15 Apple employees and later sent Apple PerformTek products to test and examine in detail. Valencell believes Apple deceptively solicited technical information and know-how under the false pretense of a licensing agreement despite having no intention to actually license the technology. Furthermore, Valencell accuses Apple of deciding it was more financially beneficial to risk infringing on Valencell's patents than to license them.

Apple did not have an intention of licensing Valencell's PerformTek Technology. Instead, Apple's interaction with Valencell was fueled by a business decision that the benefits of infringing upon Valencell's patented technology outweigh the risk of being caught and ultimately forced to pay damages. This practice is consistent with the statement by Apple CEO Steve Jobs that Apple has "always been shameless about stealing great ideas."

Valencell believes the Apple Watch infringes on four of its patents, all related to heart rate sensing technology. Valencell is suing for patent infringement, the aforementioned deceptive trade practices, and breach of contract related to some Valencell white papers Apple employees downloaded from Valencell's website using fictitious names and data.

Valencell is requesting a preliminary and permanent injunction preventing future acts of infringement, along with damages and an ongoing reasonable royalty rate for licensing purposes should a permanent injunction not be granted. Valencell has also filed a similar lawsuit against Fitbit.

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...

Top Rated Comments

rodpascoe Avatar
122 months ago
Clearly Apple stole their technology,. They have done this before with Xerox and countless other companies.
Now let Apple apologists, defend Apple
"clearly Apple stole their tech" You know this how? From a few paragraphs on this site?

Do you sit on either companies board? Have you torn down both devices and come to that conclusion?

I'm not as you suggest being an Apple apologist - I don't know any more than anyone else reading this post but how people jump to these guilty/not guilty conclusions whilst knowing zip amazes me.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Robert.Walter Avatar
122 months ago
Clearly Apple stole their technology,. They have done this before with Xerox and countless other companies.
Now let Apple apologists, defend Apple
Xerox bought a million bucks in Apple stock at a discount prior to the Apple IPO. As part of that deal, Xerox management allowed SJ to use anything he saw at PARC.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cocky jeremy Avatar
122 months ago
Clearly Apple stole their technology,. They have done this before with Xerox and countless other companies.
Now let Apple apologists, defend Apple
Found the Android user.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citysnaps Avatar
122 months ago
Clearly Apple stole their technology,. They have done this before with Xerox and countless other companies.
Now let Apple apologists, defend Apple
Clearly??? No. It's merely an allegation.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OllyW Avatar
122 months ago
Then why not go after Fitbit and every other company that integrated heart rate monitors into wearables before the Apple Watch even existed?
They are going after Fitbit.

Valencell Files Patent Infringement Suit against Apple, Inc. and Fitbit, Inc. ('http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/valencell-files-patent-infringement-suit-against-apple-inc-and-fitbit-inc-300199025.html')
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Iconoclysm Avatar
122 months ago
Clearly Apple stole their technology,. They have done this before with Xerox and countless other companies.
Now let Apple apologists, defend Apple
Apple clearly stole this...yet you know so little about the Xerox PARC deal that you think Apple stole that too? FYI, Apple traded stock for Xerox's stuff, they willingly handed it over, and many employees at Apple at the time were from Xerox PARC to begin with. I don't know why people like yourself always speak as if you know what you're talking about then follow it up with "now defend that, apologists". You're flat out wrong, people are pointing it out, it might seem like defensiveness to you...because you're likely wrong all of the time considering the "facts" you just presented.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)