Now it would seem that the company that sued it, as well as its parent company Digione, might not exactly be what they say, with Shenzhen Baili barely existing as a “flesh and blood” company. The company is described as still being “operational in its necessary functions” by its parent company, Digione. Specifically, selling refurbished phones would help the company tap into the lower-budget market.
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So what does this mean for Apple? Baili had claimed that the iPhone 6 and later the 6s too closely resembled patents it held on its 100C smartphone. This is also the reason why not the latest iPhone is part of the dispute.
Digione filed the patent infringement lawsuit shortly after the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were released and was met with public skepticism and accusations that it stole and then patented Apple’s designs, and turned to the courts as a publicity move to help product sales. However, Baili may still be back to take aim at the iPhone 6s series, according to Digione lawyer Andy Yang. “The issue here is not whether Digione makes phones anymore, but whether the iPhone 6 infringes on this patent”. The patent covers a smartphone design featuring curved edges and a rear camera positioned in the top-left corner of the handset. Mr. Yang said the company couldn’t speculate on why the designs were similar. Around the time the patent was awarded, leaked images of the iPhone 6 began to circulate online. The company has always disputed this, reposting an employee’s social media post that stated “I am not Newton”.
The Wall Street Journal said that it had rung the company and its calls were unanswered. Devices would overheat and customers were disappointed.
Drawing attention to the fact that Apple is already facing aggressive rivals in China, Counterpoint’s Beijing-based research director James Yan said that there has been a rise in legitimate lawsuits as Chinese smartphone vendors are building up their intellectual property through research and development.
Previously, the Chinese company requested an injunction on sales of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in China.
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It’s no surprise Baili is maintaining a shell to follow through with the lawsuit considering it couldn’t compete in the smartphone market, and Baidu is breathing down Digione’s financial neck.
