Apple must pay TOT Power Control, a Spanish patent owner, more than $110.7 million in damages for infringing a patent related to wireless communications technology, reports Reuters.
A Delaware federal jury said in a verdict that wireless chips in Apple’s iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches violated the patent rights of TOT (which I consider a patent troll) in technology used in the 3G wireless standard. An Apple spokesperson said that the company was disappointed with the verdict and plans to appeal.
In 2021 TOT Power Control, the licensing arm of Top Optimized Technologies, sued Apple, claiming that Apple products like iPhone, Apple Watch and iPad contain wireless baseband components, including those manufactured by Qualcomm and Intel, that infringe on owned intellectual property.
What’s a patent troll?
A patent holding company exists to hold patents on behalf of one or more other companies but does not necessarily manufacture products or supply services based upon the patents held. Many folks, like me, consider such companies to be patent trolls.
A patent troll is an individual or an organization that purchases and holds patents for unscrupulous purposes such as stifling competition or launching patent infringement suits. In legal terms, a patent troll is a type of non-practicing entity: someone who holds a patent but is not involved in the design or manufacture of any product.
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