Apple is a very prestigious and accomplished technology company that has been making their extremely popular iPhone’s for quite some time now. However, a lawsuit has been filed for allegedly infringing a patent set by the University of Wisconsin.
Could this be the downfall of Apple?
What is Apple Getting Sued For?
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) protects the University of Wisconsin’s patents and they have sued Apple for infringing on one of their processor patents, for the second time. According to the lawsuit, Apple used the University of Wisconsin’s technology in their 2013-2014 iPhone lineup. WARF then filed a second lawsuit against them using their technology; this includes the A9 and A9X chips that are used in the iPhone 6, the iPhone 6s Plus, and the iPad Pro. Per sources, Apple has already been accused by the jury of their trial that they used Wisconsin’s technology in their processors. The only question that remains for Apple is just how much they are going to owe the University of Wisconsin for this indictment, which is the next trial in this case.
How Much $$$ Will They End Up Owing?
Apple might have to be ready to get their wallets out because this lawsuit could end up costing them an enormous amount of money. Per various reports, they actually tried to defend themselves and say that the patent was invalid, but ultimately the jury that is in this case decided that the patent was valid and that they were in the wrong. U.S. District Judge William Conley, who is the person presiding over this case, then gave a rough estimate of just how much Apple could owe in this case. Conley stated that they could be liable for up to $862.4 million in damages. That is clearly not pocket change and unfortunately for them it could get even worse. Following the second trial, which will see how much Apple will owe, the third trial will decide if Apple willfully infringed on the patent. If Apple did indeed deliberately infringe the University of Wisconsin’s patent, the amount of money they will owe could drastically increase.
Apple’s Future
Apple will probably never lose its popularity given how many iPhones they have sold and given how many loyal customers they have garnished over the years. However, this lawsuit filed against Apple can only hurt the overall prestige of their company. This is especially true if it is decided that Apple infringed the patent intentionally. If this is true, Apple will need to take a long look in the mirror at themselves and decide if they have gone too far. However, if Apple didn’t intentionally infringe Wisconsin’s patent, then maybe we can look at this all as one big mistake on the part of Apple, but that is a big if.
