Ericsson, Apple reach license agreement, end ongoing lawsuits

Ericsson and Apple have reached a multi-year, global patent license agreement between the two companies. The agreement includes a cross-license relating to patented cellular standard-essential technologies and grants certain other patent rights.

What’s more, Ericsson and Apple have mutually agreed to strengthen their technology and business collaboration, including in technology, interoperability and standards development. This settlement ends the lawsuits filed by both companies in several countries, including in the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Texas, as well as the complaints filed before the United States International Trade Commission (USITC).

On Jan. 18,  Sweden’s Ericsson 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.”