Were you interested in Znaps, MagSafe adapter for Lightning connectors that we posted yesterday? You might want to hold off on ordering them. There’s a big possibility that patent issues could derail them from being delivered as promised.
Nothing against my wonderful and very intelligent colleague Rob LeFebvre, who got excited about Znaps in a post yesterday, but I’m just saying, you might want to be skeptical here. Znaps is promising a $9 adaptor for any Lightning cable that makes it fully magnetic… and, just like Lightning, fully reversible.
“Reversible” is the feature you might want to be concerned about.
As I have previously reported elsewhere, Apple has extensively patented MagSafe technology… which is exactly why you don’t see this kind of magnetic connector everywhere. Technically, it’s not a difficult thing to implement. Legally, though? It’s a potential nightmare.
Why? Essentially, what is protected in Apple’s MagSafe patent is reversibility. In Apple’s patent, the magnetic tip of a MagSafe cable can be attached in two different ways: right side up or upside down (although visually, they are identical). Any similarly reversible magnetic cable automatically violates Apple’s patent.
And that’s the problem. Although Znaps claims that they’ve done all their due diligence on patents, their design is reversible, which falls afoul of Apple’s patent… and, I would think, would result in a call from Apple’s lawyers.
This probably isn’t enough to kill Znaps, but it’s enough to change the design, after it is funded. Which means what you’re signing up for, when you sign up for the MagSafe of Lightning cables (or cable adapters), is a design that might very likely change after you give them your money.
And if you think that hasn’t happened before? Let me assure you it very much has.
In other words, here’s the smart bet. I want Znaps as much as you do, but you should wait, to see if Apple doesn’t come crashing down on top of them.
Read our original report on Znaps here.
