Apple vs. Ericsson 5G patent battle won’t start until June 2023

Unless an agreement is reached, the Apple versus Ericsson 5G patent battle will not even start being heard in the U.S. until June 2023, reports AppleInsider.

On Jan. 18,  Sweden’s Ericsson s filed another set of patent infringement lawsuits against Apple in the latest round between the two companies over royalty payment for use of 5G wireless patents in iPhones.

This is the second time Ericsson has sued Apple. And Apple has sued Ericsson in return. In 2021, both companies sued each other in the US after negotiations failed over the renewal of a seven-year licensing contract for telecom patents covering 2G, 3G, and 4G technologies,  notes MacRumors.

In October 2021, Ericsson brought a FRAND (not infringement) complaint against Apple in the Eastern District of Texas, with a license agreement still in force until the end of the year. In return Apple brought two motions in the Eastern District of Texas: a motion to dismiss Ericsson’s complaint, and an unopposed motion to seal the former, as it contains “sensitive information relating to business operations, including information regarding license agreements.”

From AppleInsider: The order to start the trial in June 2023 is accompanied by an order for the pair’s attorneys to have a scheduling conference on March 16. The scheduling of the trial, versus a scheduling of either parties dismissal motions is notable. Historically, based on Judge Gilstrap’s previous cases, this suggests that he will either not hear either dismissal motion, or isn’t putting a lot of credence on the filings for dismissal.