14 DAY TRIAL // This you gotta hear! Romek Figa of Abraham & Son has just filed suit against Apple, claiming that "certain Apple telephones" (what, are there more of them?) infringe on his patent that does this: displays an incoming phone number alongside the incoming caller's name. That's it.
Seemingly, Figa has patented the means of which a phone associates an incoming call with an existing name in its address book:
Automatic incoming telephone call originating number and party display system
An automatic incoming telephone call number display system for detecting an incoming call and identifying the party associated with the incoming call number. The system includes a directory of telephone numbers and parties associated with those numbers. Circuitry detects the origin telephone number of an incoming telephone call and compares that number with numbers in the directory for identifying the calling party. A display permits the user to view the incoming call number and party associated with that number. (freepatentsonline)
IntoMobile puts it in the simplest form possible: "The patent outlines a method that checks the incoming phone number against the contacts stored in a device and displays the contact name when a match is found." That's the whole patent and Figa is not only seeking licensing on behalf of the Cupertino-based company, but demands a jury trial which, if victorious, would bar Apple from selling its smartphone, and seeks triple damages for knowing infringement as well.
Reportedly, Figa's contacting Apple to license the patent saw Cupertino responding negatively, as in they're not willing to make any agreement based "on the terms offered."
Wait a minute here. Do you mean to tell me that this thing actually checks out? This just turned my whole reference system upside down. Isn't matching a number against a name in an existing database something that every manufacturer out there has implemented in its phones? Why is Figa picking on Apple's iPhone alone? Surely, we're missing something here.
According to the suit, the respective feature lies at the heart of a 1990 patent. iPhone should be the last device to get hit by a suit like this. We'll be updating this story as the events unfold. In the meanwhile, express your thoughts below.