Apple and Broadcom lose appeal in Wi-Fi patent case
Apple and Broadcom have lost their appeal in a patent infringement case related to Wi-Fi technology in Apple devices. The U.S. Supreme Court has chosen not to review the case brought by Caltech, who claimed that Broadcom’s chips infringed upon their patents.
Apple and Broadcom lost their appeal in a patent infringement case concerning Wi-Fi technology in Apple devices. The US Supreme Court decided not to review the suit initially filed against them by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 2016. The patents “allow for faster data transfer” and hardware simplification.
Caltech claimed that Broadcom’s Wi-Fi chips, utilized in Apple products, violated their patents, and Apple knowingly promoted the benefits of this patented technology. In 2020, a jury ruled in favor of Caltech, ordering Apple and Broadcom to pay $1.1 billion in damages.
Apple and Broadcom contended that the patents should not have been approved initially. Despite their appeal, a US Court of Appeals upheld the jury’s decision and ordered a new trial on the damages. As a result of the Supreme Court’s ruling, Apple and Broadcom can only challenge the amount they are required to pay.
In another case, Apple is facing scrutiny from the European Commission over allegations that it restricts access to near-field communication (NFC) technology, potentially hindering competitors from developing mobile payment systems for Apple devices.
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