Apple criticizes "companies that amass patents to harass the industry"
Photo:Edmond Terakopian / dpa
The company Optis Wireless Technology sees its patents infringed because Apple has built its technology into its smartphones, watches and tablets. A court in Texas has now followed this view - and sentenced the company to pay a good half a billion dollars for the use of 4G patents in the iPhone and other devices.
4G, also known as LTE in Germany, is currently the most widely used technology for fast data transmission in mobile communications.
The jury in the city of Marshall found it proven that Apple had infringed five patents owned by Optis Wireless Technology. The iPhone company immediately announced that it would appeal - and announced: "Such lawsuits from companies that accumulate patents to harass the industry only serve to stifle innovations and harm consumers."
The sum could be tripled
The amount set at $ 506.2 million could turn out to be even higher: the jury found that Apple had deliberately infringed the patents. This allows the judge to triple the amount.
Also in Texas, the group had recently been sentenced by juries to pay VirnetX $ 503 million for the use of patents. However, an appeals court found errors in the calculation of the amount and ordered a new process that should begin in the fall.
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