A jury in the Eastern District of Texas ruled Tuesday that Apple owes PanOptis $506.2 million for willful infringement of 4G LTE Patents. It said that Apple failed to prove any of the patent claims were invalid. The case revolved around five patents regarding 4G LTE capability on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. PanOptis said it encouraged Apple to take a license, but Apple did not negotiate in good faith (via Law360).
Apple to Appeal Patent Ruling
Apple confirmed in a statement that it planned to appeal the verdict:
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We thank the jury for their time but are disappointed with the verdict and plan to appeal. Lawsuits like this by companies who accumulate patents simply to harass the industry only serve to stifle innovation and harm consumers.
There had been no public comment from PanOptis or either set of attorneys at the time of this writing. The case is also notable as it was the first in-person jury patent trial since the COVID-19 pandemic led to courts closing throughout the U.S.
Wait, let me guess Eastern District of Texas.
Ought to re-name it something more descriptive like “Apple ATM court”.
“Eastern District of Texas”
No surprise there.
Lose in East Texas, win on appeal. That’s the pattern.