Patent troll utilizing 2018 patent to sue Apple over 2014 Shortcuts know-how

Apple’s Shortcuts app in iPadOS 13 (left) and iOS 13 (proper)

Aftechmobile has filed a lawsuit in opposition to Apple within the US District Court docket Northern District of California concerning the Shortcuts app. The swimsuit asserts that Apple infringes Aftechmobile’s patents concerning cellular utility growth software program and using what it calls “pre-coded software program parts.”

Referring to its US Patent No 10,133,558, dated November 2018 and generally known as the ‘558 Patent, Aftechmobile says Apple is infringing “at the very least one of many 28 claims” in that patent, by making and promoting the Shortcuts app.

The swimsuit repeatedly compares the ‘558 patent with Apple’s personal descriptions of the Shortcuts app.

“Declare 5 [of the ‘558 Patent] contains, ‘inserting a number of of stated pre-coded software program parts into stated launched cellular utility creation interface; assembling stated inserted a number of of stated pre-coded software program parts…” says Aftechmobile’s swimsuit.

“Apple describes inserting a number of of stated pre-coded software program parts into stated launched cellular utility creation interface,” it continues, “as ‘so as to add an motion to your shortcut, contact and maintain an motion within the record, then drag it to the place you need within the shortcut editor.'”

What Apple calls Actions in its Shortcuts app, Aftechmobile refers to as “pre-coded software program parts.” Then related assertions evaluate what the patent refers to because the “cellular utility creation interface” with Apple’s description of how customers can “create a brand new, customized shortcut utilizing the Shortcuts app.”

Aftechmobile is in search of a trial by jury and an unspecified sum for “a good and affordable royalty.”

In Shortcuts, you drag actions from the record on the left, into the editor on the suitable. Aftechmobile calls these “pre-coded software program parts.”

Apple has not publicly responded to the swimsuit. The Shortcuts app is now transport with iOS 13 and the forthcoming iPadOS 13, however was beforehand a separate, free product within the App Retailer. Previous to that, Apple’s Shortcuts app was a third-party one referred to as Workflow, which was first launched in 2014.

Aftechmobile is an organization primarily based in Virginia. Its LinkedIn entry describes it as growing “progressive options to assist our purchasers with Enterprise Cell Technique, Salesforce.com consulting… growth of cellular Apps and extra.” The entry says the corporate has between 2 and 10 staff.

At present Aftechmobile’s official web site both returns a 502 Dangerous Gateway error or, periodically, redirects to at least one referred to as Mobrise.internet which at time of writing went from being a registered, however non-existent web site into one returning an error saying it’s quickly unavailable.

In line with Crunchbase, Mobrise’s founder and CEO is Arshad Farooqi. Aftechmobile’s swimsuit features a copy of the ‘558 Patent which lists Farooqi because the applicant and inventor.

On the identical day that Aftechmobile filed this patent infringement swimsuit in opposition to Apple, it additionally filed an identical swimsuit in opposition to Salesforce.com. Each instances are with the Northern District of California, and in each Aftechmobile is being represented by the identical authorized agency.