Apple and Caltech reach an agreement on years-long patent infringement lawsuit

Posted by Abbie Anker on Saturday, June 1, 2024
The long legal battle between Apple and the California Institute of Technology is finally coming to a close, reports 9to5Mac. Apple and Broadcom have reached an agreement with Caltech in the patent lawsuit that began back in 2016.

Patent infringement lawsuit between Caltech and Apple is ending now


The lawsuit started back in 2016 and was a patent infringement case led by Caltech. The institute was accusing Apple of infringing patent technology with the Wi-Fi chips that were made by Broadcom that Apple used.

According to the lawsuit, all Apple products were infringing on the patent, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac, iMac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, HomePod, and even the now-discontinued AirPort routers. The patents were related to Wi-Fi performance and the aspect of balancing speed with heat, power, and chip size.

In 2020, a jury ruled that Apple and Broadcom had infringed on Caltech's patents. The two companies were to pay a combined $1.1 billion to the university, with Apple having to pay $837.8 million and Broadcom $270.2.

However, as you'd suppose, Apple appealed the ruling. The damages were ruled legally unsustainable. In June 2023, the total amount of damage was to be evaluated again in a new trial, but that trial was indefinitely postponed a month before it started.

Which brings us to the present day. Apple and Broadcom have reached an agreement to settle the patent lawsuits. The details of the settlement are unknown though (the two sides did not disclose those details), but Caltech has agreed to dismiss the case "with prejudice". This basically means the case cannot be refiled. And yep, it seems like we won't know what the reached settlement is, at least for now (or maybe forever).
View Full Bio

Izzy, a tech enthusiast and a key part of the PhoneArena team, specializes in delivering the latest mobile tech news and finding the best tech deals. Her interests extend to cybersecurity, phone design innovations, and camera capabilities. Outside her professional life, Izzy, a literature master's degree holder, enjoys reading, painting, and learning languages. She's also a personal growth advocate, believing in the power of experience and gratitude. Whether it's walking her Chihuahua or singing her heart out, Izzy embraces life with passion and curiosity.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7sbTOp5yaqpWjrm%2BvzqZmp52nqHyivM%2BlnGabkaHBpq%2FHZqearJWjwW61zZ%2BpoqaXmrqmutNmo5qvo6q2tXnSnqutpJWZrKqwkG5obm1g