Apple is expected to pay $ 502 million to a US license holder for the use of 4G patents on devices such as iPhones and iPads, ruled the London appeal court on Thursday at the latest stage of a long judicial battle.
Optis Cellularular Technology LLC, headquartered in Texas, sued Apple in London in 2019 for the use of patents that the company says are essential for certain technological standards, such as 4G.
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The London Superior Court ruled in 2023 that Apple should pay OPTIS a total of $ 56.43 million more interest to cover past and future sales for a given period.
But Optis argued that the value was very low and contested the decision.
The Court of Appeals said in a decision that Apple should pay a single amount of $ 502 million, without including interest, for the period from 2013 to 2027.
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The fixed amount refers to a global license to use Patis patents.
An Apple spokesman said they were “disappointed by this decision and plan to appeal.”
“OPTIS does not manufacture products and its only business is to process companies that use the patents they buy,” added the spokesman. “We will continue to defend ourselves against their attempts to extract improper payments.”
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An OPTIS spokesman celebrated the decision that, he said, “corrected a previous decision clearly failed and made significant progress towards the affirmation of the true value of our patents to Apple devices.”
“We will continue to ensure fair compensation for the intellectual property of OPTIS, which allows high-speed connectivity for millions of devices around the world,” added the spokesman.
Thursday’s decision is the latest in the legal battle between Apple and Optis.
