PanOptis, which specializes in licensing patents, took Apple to court in February last year, claiming it refused to pay for the use of 4G LTE technologies in its smartphones, tablets and watches.
A Texas Court has ruled that Apple must pay more than $500 million in damages and interest for 4G patent violation held by PanOptis.
“The plaintiffs have repeatedly negotiated with Apple to reach an agreement for a FRAND license to the Plaintiff’s patent portfolios which Apple is infringing,” the court filing read
FRAND refers to terms that are “fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory” and is the IT industry standard for technology use.
“The negotiations have been unsuccessful because Apple refuses to pay a FRAND royalty to the Plaintiff’s license.”
According to legal publications, Apple argued unsuccessfully that the patents were invalid.
Apple in a statement said:
“Lawsuits like this by companies who accumulate patents simply to harass the industry only serve to stifle innovation and harm consumers,”
