Apple accused of stealing patents for 3D Touch and Force Touch

By Staff Writer | Feb 15, 2016 06:39 PM EST

Apple is once again facing a patent infringement suit. Immersion has filed a series of complaints against Apple for allegedly stealing their patents related to the 3D Touch and Force Touch technology which are being used on Apple devices.

According to the press release, the haptic technology company is suing Apple and AT&T for infringing on their three patents with ties to haptic feedback.

Immersion asserts that various iPhone products such as iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus and Apple Watch used their patented tech for their touch systems.

Immersion’s claim, according to GSM Arena, revolved around three patents including: “Haptic feedback system with stored effects”, “Method and Apparatus for Providing Tactile Sensations” and “Interactivity Model for Shared Feedback on Mobile Devices”.

"While we are pleased to see others in the industry recognize the value of haptics and adopt it in their products, it is important for us to protect our business against infringement of our intellectual property in order to preserve the ecosystem we have built and the investments that we have made in continuing to advance haptic experiences,” Immersion CEO Victor Viegas said, as per Mashable.

He adds that they will “vigorously” fight for the intellectual property they have developed when it is stolen.

This isn’t the first time Immersion is suing for their patents. In the past, the company has filed complaints against other tech companies including Sony, Google, Microsoft and HTC. They won the case against Sony, Google and Microsoft.

Apple is also under legal threat for a class-action lawsuit for “Error 53” which has been a headache for iPhone 6 users. Another case is about the iOS 9, which according to users have slowed down their iPhone 4 models.

No word yet from Apple about this latest charge from Immersion.

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