The iPhone 7 launch comes with just a little bit of bad news for Apple.
A federal jury in Texas has ruled that the iPhone-maker has infringed on patents held by a subsidiary of Acacia Research Corp, resulting in a hefty fine.
Apple was ordered to pay $22.1 million by the jury in Tyler, Texas for willingly using cellular network-related technology that Acacia holds a patent for.
Patent trolls like Acacia have made Apple a frequent target of lawsuits. In this case though the jury says Apple knew it was violating Acacia’s patent.
“The jury also said that Apple did not prove that the patent was invalid,” reports Reuters. “A finding of willfulness allows the presiding judge, U.S. Magistrate Judge Nicole Mitchell, to boost damages by up to three times, at her discretion.”
The good news for Apple is it makes $22 million as quickly as you can say iPhone 7.
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
3 responses to “Apple loses $22.1 million lawsuit over key cellular tech”
Another NOE (non operating entity) that produces nothing, suing in the patent lawsuit capital of the world, Texas.
We really need to do something about this…..
Did Apple really fight? I suspect Apple knew its math and $22 million was reasonable, just to clear the table. Move on, move on.
For Apple, a minor Texan troll is infinitesimally trivial compared with blatant intellectual property theft in China, with iPhone look-a-likes virtually rubbed into Apple’s face. Then there is India. The TPP looks orderly compared with the Wild East. Hiring a gun-slinger to shoot the odd CEO might be a better defense.
Yes, Congress needs to take a stand against these NPE patent trolls, but it will never happen because the NPE’s are making so much money via these lawsuits, and giving so much of that money to Congressmen. Owning a patent is fine, I have no problem with that. But if you are going to sue related to that patent, the law should say that you must be MAKING an actual product that is sold in the marketplace that uses that patent. Simple. Easy. Will never happen. Sad.