Apple Owes Spanish Company Over $110 Million for Violating Wireless Patents

[MacRumors]

Apple has to pay $110.7 million for infringing on wireless patents owned by Spanish company TOT Power Control, reports Reuters. A jury found that transceivers used in Apple devices rely on 3G wireless technology owned by TOT.

TOT was formed by engineer Alvaro Lopez-Medrano, who patented a technology that manages "how power is used to respond to decreases and increases in the ratio of radio signal to interference." TOT does not manufacture any products, and it has also sued LG, Samsung, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.

In the original filing in 2021, TOT said that it had approached Apple "and its suppliers of wireless baseband processors" to license TOT technology, but Apple and other companies "refused."

Apple claimed that the TOT patents it was accused of infringing were invalid, but it was unable to prove that in court. TOT was seeking damages and ongoing royalties.

Apple told Reuters that it is disappointed with the ruling and that it will appeal.

Article Link: Apple Owes Spanish Company Over $110 Million for Violating Wireless Patents

 

[breenmask]

consumers: "YEAHHH **** apple. make them pay, greedy BASTARDS!"
Luca: "Just cancel the free 50GB iCloud upgrade that we were going to give everyone next year to pay for this"
Tim Cook: "Luca, you're a genius!"
...
consumers: "How come Apple hasn't given us more iCloud storage?! Apple is GREEDY!! SAD FACE"

 

[jz0309]

transceivers used in Apple devices rely on 3G wireless technology owned by TOT.

3G technology is like, what, 15 years + old?
And why sue US carriers?
And why sue LG and Samsung and not Motorola, Nokia, Huawei just to name a few.

These does have a smell of patent troll, at least with the little info provided here

 

[chrono1081]

So this patent troll patents something that phones were already doing since forever and now he wants money? I hope he gets bankrupted.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Apple told Reuters that it is disappointed with the ruling and that it will appeal.

This is becoming an evergreen statement for Apple.

 

[Chaos215bar2]

It would be really nice if this article contained basic information like what court made the decision. (What country, even.)

 

[turbineseaplane]

It would be really nice if this article contained basic information like what court made the decision. (What country, even.)

a Delaware federal jury

 

[breenmask]

This is becoming an evergreen statement for Apple.

Big publicly traded companies generally attract thousands of frivolous lawsuits. That's how the world works.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Big publicly traded companies generally attract thousands of frivolous lawsuits. That's how the world works.

And a host of very legitimate ones in the case of Apple.

 

[lkrupp]

This is becoming an evergreen statement for Apple.

Why? Because Apple chooses to defend itself from patent trolls looking for a quick buck? Is this what you think about Apple?

 

[jdavid_rp]

3G technology is like, what, 15 years + old?
And why sue US carriers?
And why sue LG and Samsung and not Motorola, Nokia, Huawei just to name a few.

These does have a smell of patent troll, at least with the little info provided here

Maybe those are the ones who paid or didn’t use the tech

 

[TechRunner]

$110 million is Tim Cook's lunch money. I'm sure there's some shrugging going on in Cupertino.

 

[jz0309]

Maybe those are the ones who paid or didn’t use the tech

maybe. just that the MR article as well as the Reuters article have basically no detail.
A Delaware federal jury
That's pretty much it.

And again - how long is LG out of the handset business? 3G was "created" well over a decade ago ...

 

[breenmask]

And a host of very legitimate ones in the case of Apple.

Subjective. Jury is easily swayed when the general sentiment is "big corp bad"

 

[AdamHarbour]

Don’t panic Tim found some cash down the back of the couch in his office !

 

[CapitalIdea]

Get it together, Spain…

 

[Endymion.dark]

Get it together, Spain…

Funny how “getting it together” apparently includes inventing cutting-edge wireless tech that Apple ends up using without paying. Maybe Spain’s more together than you think

 

[falainber]

Does Apple ever license any tech or do they always go for the steal first?

 

[mossburgercombo]

there should be some law to get rid of these patent trols. if you get a patent there should be some requirement to actually use it instead of just sitting on it waiting to file a lawsuit.

 

[turbineseaplane]

We almost need a whole new forum section just for “legal action against Apple.”

😅

 

[LawJolla]

The "omg patent trolls" train is never late on Mac Rumors.

 

[LuisPadHer]

Before talking about "Patent Trolls" some information:
ToT patents are from 2003 improving CDMA technologies with a software solution that improves power control. After that one, other similar patents including 3G technologies were granted. The company worked with Vodafone, the mobile carrier even invested in the company.

Doesn't look like a patent troll.

 

[Xiao_Xi]

if you get a patent there should be some requirement to actually use it instead of just sitting on it waiting to file a lawsuit.

If you can't patent it, what would you do if you invented something but couldn't produce it?

 

[neuropsychguy]

It would be really nice if this article contained basic information like what court made the decision. (What country, even.)

U.S. District of Delaware: https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/legaldocs/gdpzbyozmpw/APPLE PATENT TRIAL verdict.pdf

The Reuters article states that but MR didn't include it: "TOT CEO Alvaro Lopez-Medrano said in a statement that the company was 'thrilled that its fundamental cellular power saving technology has been validated by a jury in Delaware.'"

 

[russell_314]

consumers: "YEAHHH **** apple. make them pay, greedy BASTARDS!"
Luca: "Just cancel the free 50GB iCloud upgrade that we were going to give everyone next year to pay for this"
Tim Cook: "Luca, you're a genius!"
...
consumers: "How come Apple hasn't given us more iCloud storage?! Apple is GREEDY!! SAD FACE"

Exactly this. Apple doesn’t pay for anything. People buying Apple products pay for it.