Apple faces $862.4 million in damages after losing processor patent lawsuit to University of Wisconsin
Apple may be no stranger to patent lawsuits, but a recent infringement claim ruling could cost the company dearly. On Tuesday, a US jury found that the iPhone maker had used technology owned by the University of Wisconsin’s Alumni Research Foundation, or WARF, without permission.
WARF had taken Apple to court from the start of 2014 alleging that the Cupertino-based company, infringed upon its 1998 patent for improving the chip efficiency in its A7, A8 as well as A8X processors.Apple mackintosh uses this chipsets within its new iphone 5S, 6, as well as in 6 Plus and also in several apple ipad models.
If you’re interested in the specifics, WARF’s patent relates to a method for improving processor efficiency using a predictor circuit and mis-speculation history. The unique part appears to be to do with a table based approach to storage and to compare previous instructions. It’s not clear how WARF found out about the infringement, as this isn’t something that you can spot by just looking at a chip. Interestingly though, reference to a predictor table method can be spotted in one of Apple’s own patents, which was registered in 2012.
Apple denied the violation and tried to argue that the patent is invalid, it had asked the USA Patent and Hallmark Office to review the case, but in April the agency did not took any necessary action. Following the jury’s siding using WARF, the trial will now move through three more periods: liability, damages, and also whether Apple infringed the patent willfully.
Presiding US District Judge William Conley said that Apple might be liable for as much as $862.4 million worth of damages. A figure that could also rise if a final stage of the trial finds, Apple did willfully infringe upon WARF’s patent.
Apple isn’t the initial tech giant that WARF went after for allegedly featuring a technology without permission; it sued Intel when using the same patent violation argument in ’08, but the case was settled these year before it attended trial.
Even if WARF does receive the full $862.4 million from Apple, it still will not finished with the business; WARF launched a second patent infringement litigation against Apple last month, this one aimed towards the A9 and also A9X processors employed in the iPhone 6S, 6S Furthermore and iPad Expert.
Source : TechSpot and Android Authority
