Optis Cellular, a patent company, sued Apple for using its LTE cellular standard in all its iPhones, tablets and watches, without permission. Optis had already obtained over $500 million from Apple last year.
Suing Apple For Using 4G Tech
Though Apple holds several patented technologies, it was now being sued for using a critical tech that some other company owns! PanOptis Patent Management and its Optis Cellular and Unwired Planet own few patents regarding the 4G cellular standard, which Apple uses in its iPhones, tablets, and smartwatches worldwide. As it’s obtained without permission, Optis sues Apple for compensation, sufficing both past and future usage. Under this, Optis was already granted over $506 million last year and now targets Apple again for a fresh income. In a retrial of the allegation, a Texas court has ordered Apple to pay Optis Cellular a sum of $300 million to use its patented 4G technology. While this sum isn’t a big thing for Apple, it’s vexed with repeated attempts by Optis in this case. Optis is also suing Apple in a UK court on the same basis, where it may come out with a global standard for 4G standard usage. Apple was so frustrated that it threatened to pull out of the British market if forced to pay a “commercially unacceptable” amount. An interesting fact here is that Optis doesn’t make any product but is a mere patent company. All the five patents, in this case, claimed to be owned by Optis were originally issued to Panasonic Corp., Samsung Electronics Co., and LG Electronics Co, which were later transferred to Optis!
