Apple has won a major patent lawsuit in Texas after a jury ruled that it did not infringe any patents owned by Optis Wireless. The case centered on five LTE patents that Optis claimed Apple violated through its iPhones and other devices. With this verdict, Apple avoids paying what could have been hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.
The dispute began in 2019, when Texas-based Optis Wireless sued Apple over technology related to the 4G LTE wireless standard. Optis argued that Apple used its patented technology without proper licensing. Apple denied the claims and maintained that the patents were either not infringed or invalid.
According to Reuters, the jury in Marshall, Texas, found that Apple did not infringe any of the five patents in question. This marks a significant shift in a long-running legal battle that has already seen multiple jury trials and appeals.
Earlier Verdicts Overturned on Appeal
Optis initially secured a $506 million jury award against Apple in 2020. However, the damages were later thrown out after Apple appealed. The court ruled that the jury did not properly calculate damages under fair and reasonable essential patent terms, also known as FRAND.
A second trial in 2021 led to a $300 million award for Optis. Apple appealed again. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit vacated that verdict, stating that the district court gave incorrect instructions to the jury. Specifically, the verdict form combined all patents into a single infringement question, which the appeals court found improper.
As a result, the case returned for a third jury trial, which ended with the latest ruling in Apple’s favor.
In a statement to Reuters, an Apple spokesperson said:
“We thank the jury for their time, and we’re pleased they rejected Optis’ false claims. Optis makes no products, and its sole business is to sue companies, which it has done repeatedly to Apple in an attempt to obtain an excessive payout.”
Optis did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Legal Fight Continues in the UK
Although Apple has secured this U.S. victory, the dispute is not over globally. A UK court previously ordered Apple to pay $502 million for infringing Optis’ UK wireless patents. Apple has appealed that decision, and the UK Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case in June 2026.
For now, Apple owes Optis nothing in the United States. However, with a likely appeal from Optis and ongoing proceedings in the UK, the legal battle remains active.
