Apple accused of copying 'Sign in with Apple' feature
What's the story
Apple has been accused of copying 'Sign in with Apple' - an iOS 13 feature that lets users sign into apps without giving away their actual email IDs. The feature, announced at WWDC 2019, has garnered a lot of attention, but Blix, the creator of Blue Mail, claims Apple has infringed on its patents related to a similar capability. Here's all about the dispute.
Feature
First, you should know about 'Sign in with Apple' feature
'Sign in with Apple' is a one-touch option to sign in to apps/services using Apple ID. The log-in is authenticated with Face ID/Touch ID and no personal information, not even email, is shared with the service in question. Also, if an app needs an email address, the feature creates a dummy email to hide the original one and forwards all correspondence from thereon.
Lawsuit
Blix says Apple has stolen this capability
Now, Blix has filed a lawsuit against Apple in the US District Court for the District of Delaware, alleging that the Cupertino giant has stolen its own 'Share email' tech for 'Sign in with Apple'. It claims to have patented the technology back in 2017 for enabling anonymized messaging, where users could mask their real email and use a unique 'public address' to communicate.
Other claims
Blix's previous accusation against Apple
Along with the patent infringement issue, Blix has accused Apple of suppressing its email client on the App Store. The company claimed that Apple has been keeping its app from appearing on top of the search results. However, now, after Apple's recent algorithm fix, it has jumped to 13th from the 143rd spot in the results.
Damages
Now, Blix seeks injunction and damages
Notably, in the case of patent infringement, Blix has demanded injunction, damages, and legal fees from Apple. The company has not said anything on the matter, but if found guilty, it may have to pay Blix a pretty hefty amount to keep using the feature. Otherwise, it would have to modify 'Sign in with Apple' feature.