Tech giant Apple could be liable for $862m after being found guilty of infringing on Wisconsin University processor patent.
Wisconsin University could receive up to $862m from tech giant Apple after the smartphone developer was found guilty of infringing on a processor patent held by the institution.
In a lawsuit filed by Wisconsin’s technology transfer office (TTO) Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), the office alleged that Apple had used Wisconsin technology in its A7, A8, and A8X processors, found in Apple’s iPhone and iPad devices.
WARF launched the case at the start of 2014, alleging infringement of the 1998 patent, which relates to improving chip efficiency. The TTO previously brought a similar case against Intel over the same patent in 2008 which resulted in the chip manufacturer paying off WARF in an out of court settlement.
WARF has asked for $862m in damages, which will now be assessed in three aspects: liability, damages, and whether Apple acted wilfully in infringing on the patent.
Apple may yet be liable for even more after WARF launched another lawsuit against the tech giant last month on the same patent, targeting Apple’s A9 and A9X processors used in its latest smartphones iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus.
