Apple ordered to pay $502 million to Optis by UK courts

Apple has been ordered to pay a $502 million lump sum cost by UK courts for infringing on patents owned by Optis Mobile Expertise LLC, primarily based out of Texas. Once you embrace curiosity and costs, Optis estimates the entire sum to be in extra of $700 million. This specific firm isn’t an aggrieved innovator, however as an alternative what’s known as a “patent troll.” That’s an organization that buys up area of interest patents with the precise intent to hunt damages for infringement from profitable defendants like Apple, and it’s not their first time being awarded damages from the Cupertino big.

This lawsuit was initially filed by London courts in 2019 over patents governing mobile know-how, together with 4G, that Optis says was improperly utilized in iPads and iPhones. In 2023, London’s Excessive Courtroom dominated in Optis’ favor and ordered Apple to pay simply over $56 million plus curiosity to settle the dispute, inclusive of previous and future gross sales that featured the offending tech. Optis efficiently argued that this was far too low a sum, resulting in the half-a-billion-dollars in damages ordered at the moment.

The iPhone maker has discovered itself in courtroom over patent infringements time and time again prior to now — not solely with patent trolls, but additionally fellow industry stalwarts. The power for big tech corporations to (allegedly) infringe on design or utility patents and pay pennies on the dollar for the harm executed years later appears to be a characteristic, not a bug.

Apple has unsurprisingly responded by promising to enchantment the courtroom's determination, to which Optis insisted it is going to battle to defend its mental property.

Optis supplied Engadget with the next assertion:

"We’re happy the UK Courtroom of Appeals has acknowledged and corrected a clearly flawed prior ruling and has made significant progress towards affirming the true worth of our patents to Apple units. Along with ordering cost that exceeds $700 million with curiosity and costs, the Courtroom has judged that 'Apple’s important negotiating energy leads some events to agree decrease charges than can be agreed between a keen licensor/keen licensee' thereby gaining an unfair benefit. We’ll proceed to make sure truthful compensation for the Optis mental property that allows high-speed connectivity for thousands and thousands of units around the globe."

Replace, Might 1, 2025, 11:53AM ET: This story was up to date with an announcement from Optis and particulars in regards to the whole compensation inclusive of charges and curiosity.

This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-ordered-to-pay-502-million-to-optis-by-uk-courts-153053338.html?src=rss

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