Apple Hit With Patent Suit Over iPhone, MacBook Display Controls

A patent-monetization company accused Apple Inc. of patent infringement with the automatic brightness controls on its laptops and mobile phones.

Several models of Apple’s iPhones and MacBooks infringe US Patent No. 8,223,117, Polaris PowerLED Technologies LLC alleged in a complaint filed Wednesday in the US District Court for the Western District of Texas. The patent covers technology for adjusting the brightness of a display screen in response to ambient light.

Polaris PowerLED asserted the same patent in its 2022 lawsuit against Dell Inc. and Microsoft Corp., also in Texas’ Western District, the complaint said, arguing that the new lawsuit ...