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A Texas courtroom has ordered Apple to pay greater than $500 million (roughly Rs. 3,742 crores) in damages and curiosity for 4G patent infringements held by mental property firm PanOptis.
The US tech large — now price virtually $2 trillion (roughly Rs. 1,49,70,000 crores) — vowed to enchantment Tuesday’s resolution.
“We thank the jury for their time but are disappointed with the verdict and plan to appeal,” Apple mentioned in an electronic mail response to an AFP inquiry.
“Lawsuits like this by companies who accumulate patents simply to harass the industry only serve to stifle innovation and harm consumers.”
PanOptis, which specialises in licensing patents, took Apple to courtroom in February final 12 months, claiming it refused to pay for using 4G LTE applied sciences in its smartphones, tablets, and watches.
“The complainant’s have repeatedly negotiated with Apple to reach an agreement for a FRAND license to the complainant’s patent portfolios which Apple is infringing,” the courtroom submitting learn.
FRAND refers to phrases which are “fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory” and is the IT trade commonplace for expertise use.
“The negotiations have been unsuccessful because Apple refuses to pay a FRAND royalty to the complainant’s license.”
Apple argued unsuccessfully that the patents had been invalid, in accordance with authorized publications.
The case is one in all many patent fits from licensing companies that make no merchandise however maintain rights to sure applied sciences. Critics name these companies “patent trolls.”
Patent fits are usually filed in states the place jurors have been discovered extra inclined to rule towards Silicon Valley giants.
The Texas courtroom has twice dominated towards Apple prior to now, demanding it pay tons of of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to VirnetX — one other firm specialising in patent litigation.
On its web site, PanOptis gives to handle its purchasers’ patents, permitting them to focus on “innovation and new development.”
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