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

MacRumors · Mar 28, 2013, 12:16 PM

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.

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.

Quote:

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.

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

CBJammin103 · Mar 28, 2013, 12:17 PM

Lol?

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

gazmac · Mar 28, 2013, 12:17 PM

What a stupid design.

AT06 · Mar 28, 2013, 12:18 PM

I'm becoming a patent lawyer with all these lawsuits going on

aaron.lee2006 · Mar 28, 2013, 12:18 PM

Well I'm not buying one either way.

2IS · Mar 28, 2013, 12:18 PM

An attempt of a desperate company to get a settlement? Those cases look nothing alike.

mr.steevo · Mar 28, 2013, 12:19 PM

They are completely different. One has cards in it.

bushido · Mar 28, 2013, 12:19 PM

they must be bankrupt and thats their last hope LOL and im not even surprised, just look at this ugly thing

nwcs · Mar 28, 2013, 12:19 PM

Doubt they will win. Especially not against Apple for selling a product. But that's what you do: find everyone you can sue against and let the courts trim it back.

santydolby · Mar 28, 2013, 12:20 PM

Callet

"Now making magazine stands with free iPhone 4"

grassfeeder · Mar 28, 2013, 12:20 PM

one looks like it was designed by a professional and the other looks like it was designed in home-ec class.

i'll let you all decide which is which.

skorpien · Mar 28, 2013, 12:21 PM

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.

prowlmedia · Mar 28, 2013, 12:22 PM

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.

Oletros · Mar 28, 2013, 12:22 PM

I highly doubt that Apple has nothing to worry about

Nightarchaon · Mar 28, 2013, 12:23 PM

Its an iPhone case with slots for credits cards, it can only be ONE shape really !!

this ability to sue over everything and anything is getting on my nerves now. Instead of free market competition we now have a load of companies trying to make something then sue everyone else to make sure there is no competition.

AdeFowler · Mar 28, 2013, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prowlmedia

Seriously!? This is not front page news.

1. No one cares.
2. I had a iPod touch gen 1 wallet case from belkin in 2007 with exactly the same design.

Slow news day

QCassidy352 · Mar 28, 2013, 12:29 PM

The hex one looks nice! The callet... Not so much.

nzalog · Mar 28, 2013, 12:29 PM

Thanks Callet, if it wasn't for your lawsuit I would of never realize crappy your products are compared to the competition.

dec. · Mar 28, 2013, 12:31 PM

Inb4 "Inb4 'Apple buy Callet' - 'only Apple can sue others!1!' and so on"...

Cameront9 · Mar 28, 2013, 12:32 PM

How in the world do they have grounds to sue Apple? Apple doesn't have anything to do with the case designs.

SockRolid · Mar 28, 2013, 12:32 PM

You're a case maker.
Your life will be hard, then you will die.
Deal with it.

testcard · Mar 28, 2013, 12:35 PM

From the Callet website: "After a year of research and development these young entrepreneurs have created the first ever convenient, trendy, and affordable all-in-one accessory for the Blackberry and iPhone."

Thanks guys, but don't give up the day job.

Schmitty11 · Mar 28, 2013, 12:35 PM

Would be a day without a lawsuit story. Maybe I should become a lawyer...

GenesisST · Mar 28, 2013, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SockRolid

You're a case maker.
Your life will be hard, then you will die.
Deal with it.

The great circle of life:
http://www.smbc-comics.com/?id=1291

thedeejay · Mar 28, 2013, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schmitty11

Would be a day without a lawsuit story. Maybe I should become a lawyer...

Seriously right? I swear they should rename the site to ****rumors because that's what these rumors have become lately. Actually this isn't even a rumor. Go figure

Mar 28, 2013, 12:17 PM	#2
CBJammin103 macrumors regular Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Louisiana, United States	Lol? They don't even really look that similar as iPhone cases go. __________________ iMac 27" Core i7 15" Retina Macbook Pro iPhone 5 Canon Digital Rebel XTi
	12

Mar 28, 2013, 12:17 PM	#3
gazmac macrumors member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: London, UK	Yuk What a stupid design.
	10

Mar 28, 2013, 12:18 PM	#4
AT06 macrumors regular Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Winwick, UK	I'm becoming a patent lawyer with all these lawsuits going on __________________ "Twenty seconds of insane courage" iMac 27"\| iPad 32GB \| Canon 400D, 24-105mm f/4L & 50mm f/1.8 www.turner.im - Flickr
	10

Mar 28, 2013, 12:18 PM	#5
aaron.lee2006 macrumors 65816 Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Ontario, Canada	Well I'm not buying one either way. __________________ MacBook Pro: 2.8/4GB/500GB HD/9600M GT 512 23" ACD
	2

Mar 28, 2013, 12:19 PM	#7
mr.steevo macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jul 2004	They are completely different. One has cards in it.
	27

Mar 28, 2013, 12:18 PM	#6
2IS macrumors 68000 Join Date: Jan 2011	An attempt of a desperate company to get a settlement? Those cases look nothing alike.
	2

Mar 28, 2013, 12:19 PM	#8
bushido macrumors 68040 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Germany, Europe	they must be bankrupt and thats their last hope LOL and im not even surprised, just look at this ugly thing __________________ '13 MacBook Pro Retina 2.5 GHz '13 MacBook Pro 2.54 GHz, C2D, 128GB SSD iPhone 5 (white & silver), 16GB iPad 3 white, 32 GB, Wifi+Cellular Apple TV 3
	3

Mar 28, 2013, 12:19 PM	#9
nwcs macrumors 6502a Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Tennessee	Doubt they will win. Especially not against Apple for selling a product. But that's what you do: find everyone you can sue against and let the courts trim it back. __________________ This space intentionally not blank
	2

Mar 28, 2013, 12:20 PM	#10
santydolby macrumors newbie Join Date: Oct 2011	Callet "Now making magazine stands with free iPhone 4"
	2

Mar 28, 2013, 12:20 PM	#11
grassfeeder macrumors regular Join Date: Jun 2009	one looks like it was designed by a professional and the other looks like it was designed in home-ec class. i'll let you all decide which is which.
	9

Mar 28, 2013, 12:21 PM	#12
skorpien macrumors 68020 Join Date: Jan 2008	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. __________________ 17" 2.6 GHz Penryn MBP Collector's Edition 2.4 GHz Alu MB Time Capsule 2TB (1st Gen); Apple TV 160GB; iPhone 4 32GB; iPod Video 30GB
	11

Mar 28, 2013, 12:22 PM	#13
prowlmedia macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: London	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.
	14

Mar 28, 2013, 12:22 PM	#14
Oletros macrumors 68040 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Premià de Mar	I highly doubt that Apple has nothing to worry about __________________ There are four kinds of lies: Lies, damned lies, statistics, and analyst projections.
	0

Mar 28, 2013, 12:23 PM	#15
Nightarchaon macrumors 6502a Join Date: Sep 2010	Its an iPhone case with slots for credits cards, it can only be ONE shape really !! this ability to sue over everything and anything is getting on my nerves now. Instead of free market competition we now have a load of companies trying to make something then sue everyone else to make sure there is no competition. __________________ MacBook Pro/iPad Mini/TV1/iMac/iPhone5
	2

Mar 28, 2013, 12:29 PM	#17
QCassidy352 macrumors G3 Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Boston, MA	The hex one looks nice! The callet... Not so much.
	10

Mar 28, 2013, 12:29 PM	#18
nzalog macrumors member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Cupertino, CA	Thanks Callet, if it wasn't for your lawsuit I would of never realize crappy your products are compared to the competition.
	4

Mar 28, 2013, 12:31 PM	#19
dec. macrumors regular Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Toronto	Inb4 "Inb4 'Apple buy Callet' - 'only Apple can sue others!1!' and so on"... __________________ 15" rMBP, 13" MBA, iPad3, iPhone5, iPad mini, ATV, TC, AE
	0

Mar 28, 2013, 12:32 PM	#20
Cameront9 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Aug 2006	How in the world do they have grounds to sue Apple? Apple doesn't have anything to do with the case designs.
	6

Mar 28, 2013, 12:32 PM	#21
SockRolid macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jan 2010	You're a case maker. Your life will be hard, then you will die. Deal with it. __________________ Sent from my iPad Simulator
	10

Mar 28, 2013, 12:35 PM	#22
testcard macrumors 6502a Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Middle England	From the Callet website: "After a year of research and development these young entrepreneurs have created the first ever convenient, trendy, and affordable all-in-one accessory for the Blackberry and iPhone." Thanks guys, but don't give up the day job. __________________ 2.4 GHz Unibody MacBook \| iPhone 5 64GB \| iPad Wi-Fi 16GB \| Apple TV
	2

Mar 28, 2013, 12:35 PM	#23
Schmitty11 macrumors 6502 Join Date: May 2011	Would be a day without a lawsuit story. Maybe I should become a lawyer...
	0

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