Feature adopted: Camo developer sues Apple over 'Sherlocking'
Reincubate, developer of the webcam app Camo, is taking action against Apple – because the company is said to have copied features.
(Image: Reincubate)
The British company Reincubate, manufacturer of the well-known webcam app Camo, which allows you to use iPhones as a camera for Mac, among other things, has filed a lawsuit against Apple. The reason: Reincubate feels outmaneuvered by the Apple feature Continuity Camera – through so-called Sherlocking, where Apple adopts features from software manufacturers into its system. The legal proceedings filed with the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, which software patent expert Florian Mueller reported on, among others, revolve around two points: firstly, Reincubate sees a patent infringement by Apple, and secondly, a violation of competition law.
Camo CEO sees feature at WWDC
Reincubate confirmed the lawsuit in a blog post. However, the company did not want to provide exact details about the background, which Reincubate CEO Aidan Fitzpatrick described as an “amazing story.” Nevertheless, some jabs at the company are mentioned. For example, it is described how Fitzpatrick attended Apple's developer conference WWDC in 2022, only to see the features of Camo as part of Continuity Camera. The feature was presented by a team that had privately told him that they used “Camo every day at work.”
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It was fascinating to watch Apple's “playbook” after the feature was introduced. He received messages of from Apple's top management, among others, and was told that they were taking the matter seriously and would address it. However, Apple never committed to anything in writing. Apple also told him that the company did not intend to buy Reincubate – but he had never offered that either. The matter reportedly dragged on for several years without any progress. Reincubate finally decided to sue.
Competition and Patent Law
According to the Sunday Times list, Reincubate is one of the 100 fastest-growing companies in Great Britain. In the lawsuit, the company accuses Apple of, among other things, unlawfully exploiting a monopoly position and demands greater interoperability. The company directly accuses Apple of infringing two of its US patents. The lawsuit demonstrates, among other things, how Apple and Reincubate initially acted as partners.
Software patent expert Mueller believes that Apple will do everything it can to avoid the jury trial led by Reincubate. He expects Apple to try to have the competition law part of the proceedings dismissed as inadmissible. However, Reincubate's patents could become dangerous for Apple. Reincubate now fears that Apple will revoke its iOS developer license, which is of great importance for Camo. Therefore, a motion states that Apple should be prohibited from doing so. Statements from the company have not yet been made.
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