In a significant development in the long-standing legal battle between technology giant Apple Inc. and Optis Cellular Technology LLC, the London Court of Appeal dismissed Apple’s appeal on Tuesday and upheld the previous ruling that the company infringed on two telecommunications patents, Reuters reported. The patents in question are claimed to be essential to technological standards, including 4G.
The legal dispute was initiated in 2019 when Texas-based Optis Cellular Technology sued Apple, alleging that the tech giant had unlawfully utilized patents crucial to certain technological standards without proper licensing. After a trial, London’s High Court ruled last year that two of Optis’ 4G patents were indeed ‘standard essential patents’ and concluded that Apple had infringed upon them.
Apple, seeking to overturn this decision, filed an appeal in May, arguing that the two patents were not essential to 4G standards and that no infringement had occurred. However, their challenge was met with disappointment as the Court of Appeal sided with the High Court’s initial ruling, deeming it justified in rejecting Apple’s arguments on non-infringement and the essential nature of the patents.
In a written ruling, Judge Colin Birss affirmed the High Court’s decision, stating that Apple had indeed infringed upon the patents and that they were essential to the 4G standards. Apple and Optis Cellular Technology LLC have not provided any immediate comments following the latest ruling.
This ruling represents the latest chapter in the protracted legal battle between Apple and Optis, which has already witnessed multiple trials and appellate hearings in Britain alone. The Court of Appeal’s decision follows a previous ruling in October, where Optis successfully appealed against the revocation of two other 4G-related patents. This ruling granted Optis an injunction to prevent Apple from further infringing upon their patents until a court has decided on the fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms of use.
The ongoing legal clash has posed significant challenges for Apple, one of the world’s leading technology companies. The infringement of telecommunications patents has raised concerns regarding Apple’s adherence to intellectual property rights and compliance with fair licensing practices.
(With Inputs from Reuters)
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