In the past, Apple has had to deal with legal disputes related to the technologies used in its own devices. So-called “patent trolls”, companies that have a large collection of patents but don’t manufacture their own products, sue other companies who then use them for their devices because they are illegally using intellectual property. In 2016, for example, VirnetX won a patent lawsuit against Apple for $302 million.
Now Apple has been fined again $300 million in licensing fees to reopen a patent dispute in court. Topic: Wireless technologies used in Apple devices. More precisely, it is the 4G connection standard and the corresponding patents used in the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
“The five patents that form part of the indictment were originally granted to Panasonic, Samsung, and LG. Panasonic and LG transferred two patents to Optis Wireless Technology in 2014. Optis itself does not offer any of its products, but rather owns the patents Just “.
I mentioned it t3n to the current legal dispute. The court upheld the patent owner Optis and required Apple to pay $300 million for past and future patents. A previous jury awarded Optis $506.2 million in 2020, but Apple’s challenge to the ruling led to a retrial.
In a statement from Apple (via Reuters) The group explains, “Opts does not manufacture products and its only business is to sue companies for the patents they have collected. We will continue to defend ourselves against their attempts to charge incorrect payments for the patents they have obtained.” The feud appears likely to continue into another round.