Biometrics firm Valencell recently filed a lawsuit claiming that Apple infringed on its biometric sensing technology in the Apple Watch after receiving important information from the company.
The case which was filed with the U.S District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, stated that Apple feigned interest in entering into a partnership with the company and as a result received vital information relating to Valencell’s branded “PerformTek-Powered” biometric tech.
In the suit, Senior Partnership Manager Liang Hoe contacted Valencell with a partnership proposal for wrist-based heart rate sensing technology, after which several members of the Apple watch team accessed more information from Valencell’s website using different identities.
In June 2013, Apple again met with Valencell’s cofounder and President Dr. Stephen LeBoeuf and other staff to discuss the integration of the PerformTek-Powered biometric tech in some of Apple’s products.
After this, Valencell provided Apple with technical samples for testing and analysis as well as additional data on wrist-worn wearables throughout 2014. Yet, Apple went ahead to launch its Apple watch with Valencell’s patented tech in September 2014, without licensing the technology.
In its case against Apple, Valencell suit alleges that Apple found it more economical to risk infringing upon the company’s patent rather than license the technology