Ericsson takes lawsuit against Apple to Europe, wants up to $725 million per year

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Apple raked in the cash last quarter.
Apple could be about to hand over a whole lot of cash. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Claiming that Apple is infringing on several of its patents, Ericsson has ramped up its legal efforts against the company by expanding lawsuits to cover Germany, Britain and the Netherlands.

“Apple continues to profit from Ericsson’s technology without having a valid license in place,” said Kasim Alfalahi, chief intellectual property officer at Ericsson, adding that he is confident the courts will resolve the matter fairly.

In this instance, fairness comes with a pretty big price tag, though. Should courts decide in Ericsson’s favor, Apple would have to stump up between $240 million and $725 million in royalties per year.

The patents relate to 2G and 4G/LTE mobile communications standards, with the new lawsuit announced by Ericsson on Twitter this morning.

Ericsson had previously offered to enter into arbitration with Apple to come to a global licensing agreement regarding patents, although it says this offer has now expired.

For its part, Apple has argued that Ericsson “seeks to exploit its patents to take the value of these cutting-edge Apple innovations” and has accused the company of engaging in “abusive licensing practices.”

By expanding its lawsuit outside of the United States, Ericsson is attempting to turn up the heat on Apple. In February, Ericsson asked the U.S. International Trade Commission to block Apple products, such as the iPhone, from selling in the United States.

Source: Reuters

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