We've asked Apple for comment and will let you know if it can provide its take on the situation.

The case may be more complicated than it seems at first. Apple has its own dual camera patents, so it's clearly been exploring the idea. Corephotonics may need to show that Apple couldn't have developed the iPhone's dual cameras independently. Also, it may have to demonstrate that negotiations played out as described. There have been more than a few lawsuits where plaintiffs swore they'd informed tech giants about patents -- Corephotonics' detailed account of this is uncommon, but the court will likely want more tangible proof.

The one certainty is that this isn't a fly-by-night lawsuit. Corephotonics got into dual camera technology relatively early, and it has worked with big-name partners like Samsung Electro-Mechanics and OmniVision. Whatever the truth, Apple can't brush this off.