Ericsson filed another patent infringement lawsuit Tuesday against Apple concerning the use of 5G wireless patents in iPhones.
A leader in cellular communications, the Swedish company previously sued Apple in October in the US District Court for Eastern District of Texas, following the breakdown of negotiations over the renewal of a seven-year license agreement struck in 2015. The license agreement covered patents of 2G, 3G, and 4G technologies used in iPhones. In the breakdown of negotiations, Ericsson sued Apple over the tech giant “unfairly trying to reduce royalty rates.”
However, as the prior agreement expired, Ericsson, in the patent infringement lawsuit, accused Apple of using their technology without a license, infringing their patents for 5G. Demanding collection of the royalty rate, Ericsson agreed that a new license agreement should be drawn up promptly. The most recent lawsuit has been filed in the District Court for the Western District of Texas.
Apple has faced similar cases of infringement of patents, including Motorola, which sued Apple over their touchscreen sensor patent. Apple released a statement over the use of “fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory licensing” (FRAND). In the statement, Apple warned of “excessive royalties,” responding to the negotiations with Ericsson. They thought that net payments should be decreased in the renewal of the license agreement, compared to the one drawn up in 2015.
