Apple’s long-running patent dispute with Optis is set to enter a new chapter this week as the case reaches the UK High Court. Here are the details.
Apple and Optis in court again
Since 2019, Apple and Texas-based Optis Wireless have been locked in a dispute over patents covering several 4G/LTE network technologies.
In separate lawsuits in the US and the UK, Optis claims that the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch models with LTE support infringe on its patents.
Over the years, Apple and Optis have won and lost through a seemingly endless series of appeals. A US jury recently sided with Apple after previous trials resulted in awards 506 million dollars and then 300 million dollarsboth eventually overcame.
Apple in February cleaned up All five patents at issue are infringed, but Optis told 9to5Mac that the company is looking forward to “further review of the jury verdict by the US District Court and the Federal Circuit,” meaning the case may not be over yet.
As for the battle, the battle across the pond Financial Times reports that Apple is now asking the UK High Court to overturn the ruling requiring it to pay Optis 502 million dollars for a global patent license.
Instead of focusing on whether Apple infringed Optis’ patents, the case now focuses on how much Apple should pay to use the patented technology under fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory or FRAND terms.
From report:
In 2023, the High Court in London ruled that Apple must pay $56 million to Optis, but the Court of Appeal last year increased the iPhone maker’s bill ninefold to $502 million.
The Court of Appeal arrived at this number in part by using Optis’ contract with Google. The judges’ calculations included royalties up to 2013, whereas the Supreme Court said the six-year limitation would apply.
For this reason, Apple is asking the UK High Court to review the amount and methodology, arguing that the Court of Appeal “erred in law” and that the valuation approach was “arbitrary”, according to the FT.
Meanwhile, Optis says Apple has repeatedly tried to avoid paying fair royalties and used market power to drive down licensing rates. The report notes that Qualcomm also opposes Apple’s application, arguing that the company’s position deviates from widely accepted licensing principles and could weaken incentives to develop new technologies.
A five-judge panel of the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case in three days.
For the FT’s full report, follow this link.
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