Apple Ordered to Pay $506M to University of Wisconsin in A7/A8 Patent Dispute

[MacRumors]

U.S. District Judge William Conley today ordered Apple to pay $506 million to the University of Wisconsin's Alumni Research Foundation for infringing on a patent related to computer processing technology used in its A7, A8, and A8X chips, reports Reuters.

The $506 million total is more than double the $234 million in damages that a Jury ordered Apple to pay back in 2015, with Conley adding an extra $272 million. According to Conley, Apple owes additional damages along with interest because Apple continued to infringe on the patent until it expired at the end of 2016.

The lawsuit in question dates back to 2014, when the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation accused Apple of infringing on a patent titled "Table based data speculation circuit for parallel processing computer," that was originally granted in 1998 and covers a method for improving processor efficiency.

A jury ruled that Apple's A7, A8, and A8X processors infringe on the patent, and the university has also filed a second lawsuit covering Apple's A9 chips, which has not yet been ruled on.

Apple plans to appeal the judge's decision.

Article Link: Apple Ordered to Pay $506M to University of Wisconsin in A7/A8 Patent Dispute

 

[farewelwilliams]

Guess who went to University of Wisconsin? DING DING DING that's right, it's Judge William Conley.

 

[raazman]

Ouch, half a billion. That's gotta sting a bit.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

Guess who went to University of Wisconsin? DING DING DING that's right, it's Judge William Conley.

Wow, talk about a conflict of interests.

 

[pat500000]

Chump change for apple.

Meanwhile at apple hq:

Tim: "raise the prices on all apple products."
Phil: "yes sir."

 

[_Refurbished_]

iPhone X will now start at $1500.

Thanks Conley! Go Badgers!

 

[mdriftmeyer]

I don't care what school he attended. The willful arrogance of my former employer to continue abusing this deserves the extra fine. Sorry, but they willfully knew what they were doing and did it anyway. The stupidity behind this is Apple could have easily collaborated with the university [as it has in the past] and paid a royalty fee probably 1/20th or less for it.

Learn from it and change the policy is what the Judge is inferring.

 

[David G.]

I don't care what school he attended. The willful arrogance of my former employer to continue abusing this deserves the extra fine. Sorry, but they willfully knew what they were doing and did it anyway. The stupidity behind this is Apple could have easily collaborated with the university [as it has in the past] and paid a royalty fee probably 1/20th or less for it.

Learn from it and change the policy is what the Judge is inferring.

Bachelor's degree from UWisc, check.
Juris Doctorate from UWisc, check.
Apparent conflict of interest, check.
Should the judge have recused himself, oh yeah.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

They what was needed.

 

[JesperA]

They what was needed.

They what what?

 

[Koodauw]

They what what?

Michaelgtrusa went to Minnesota instead of UW. You'll have to forgive him.

 

[Tubamajuba]

Bachelor's degree from UWisc, check.
Juris Doctorate from UWisc, check.
Apparent conflict of interest, check.
Should the judge have recused himself, oh yeah.

The argument can be made that the judge should have recused himself, but couldn't Apple have brought that up at some point? Assuming they didn't, I'm guessing it wasn't as big of a deal as it seems.

 

[kdarling]

The argument can be made that the judge should have recused himself, but couldn't Apple have brought that up at some point? Assuming they didn't, I'm guessing it wasn't as big of a deal as it seems.

This.

Although it'd probably be as hard to find a judge without at least some local Wisconsin ties, as it would be to find a judge who had no Apple products.

For that matter, why do people think Apple loves to file lawsuits in their native California ?

 

[macfacts]

Guess who went to University of Wisconsin? DING DING DING that's right, it's Judge William Conley.

If you read the summary, it says a jury found Apple guilty of stealing.

 

[im_to_hyper]

Maybe they won't be building those "big, big, big" factories in Wisconsin after all....

 

[Sevanw]

As I like to say in these outcomes, you live by the sword, you pay up later.

 

[Kaibelf]

Maybe they won't be building those "big, big, big" factories in Wisconsin after all....

They could certainly influence Foxconn to relocate the proposed Wisconsin factory.

 

[Urban Joe]

Apple really could care less about infringing on patents. I actually think they get a kick out of ripping people off.

 

[drfuchs]

Wow, talk about a conflict of interests.

Best. Alum. Ever. Anywhere.

 

[Delgibbons]

Chump change for apple.

Meanwhile at apple hq:

Tim: "raise the prices on all apple products."
Phil: "yes sir."

"But mainly in the UK.....oh, and blame it on Brexit "

 

[44267547]

Chump change for apple.

Meanwhile at apple hq:

Tim: "raise the prices on all apple products."
Phil: "yes sir."

Leave it for someone else to spin this patent article about Apple "Raising prices for Their products", which has nothing to do with the article itself. It was valiant attempt though.

 

[MH01]

Wow, talk about a conflict of interests.

How? Sorry you don't understand conflict of interest.

Given she has to pay a small fortune to attend, how is this a conflict of interest ? Prove she works for them or has anything to do with the university administration .

All the Americans posting in this forum are guilty of contract of interest as Apple is an American company .... guess it's easy

Anyway the keyword here is "jury" better check where they got their degrees....

 

[CPx]

A patent from 1998??

 

[Sefstah]

What happened to inventing your own technology? Apple is a bunch of thieves!

 

[MachCrit]

I don't care what school he attended. The willful arrogance of my former employer to continue abusing this deserves the extra fine. Sorry, but they willfully knew what they were doing and did it anyway. The stupidity behind this is Apple could have easily collaborated with the university [as it has in the past] and paid a royalty fee probably 1/20th or less for it.

Learn from it and change the policy is what the Judge is inferring.

Apple should buy the University of Wisconsin and gift it to Stanford to use as a Scout Squad for their football team. Lay off everyone else, keep the research papers.

Boom.