Is Apple’s battery case bulge a response to a Mophie patent?

Nilay Patel, writing for The Verge:

The biggest name in battery cases is Mophie, and Mophie has tons of patents on the design and functionality of these things. Reading through a few, it’s hard not to see Apple’s case as being deliberately designed around Mophie’s patents — including that unsightly bulge.

Interesting premise.