The telecommunications giant Ericsson again sued Apple, continuing the dispute between the two companies regarding the use of patents on 5G in iPhones. The legal diatribe continues after contracts for the use of some patents that allow iPhones to connect to the mobile network expired last year.
Ericsson again sues Apple over 5G
In 2015, Apple and Ericsson entered into a seven-year contract for the use of certain Ericsson patents in iPhones. That allow you to connect to 2G, 3G and 4G networks. But in 2021 the renewal did not take place, despite the long negotiations.
In October, Ericsson is suing Apple, saying that Apple had arbitrarily reduced the royalties to be paid. Two months later, Apple sued the Swedish giant, accusing her of using an illegal tug-of-war to force her to pay.
A spokesperson for Ericsson told Reuters: “Since our previous agreement has expired, and we have not been able to reach an agreement on the terms of the new license, Apple is currently using our unlicensed technology ”.
According to a recent dossier published on the case, Ericsson would ask 5 euros for each smartphone which uses 5G, with a discount of one euro for early signing (which in this case should be well overdue). But since recently the Apple has acquired Intel’s modem department to produce the 5G chip on its own, he now thinks he holds some of the patents comparable to that of Ericsson. And so he asks to pay less.
The royalty expert Florian Mueller, who runs the Foss Patents website, thinks the case though Ericsson will win it, especially after the Swedish company has signed a agreement with Samsung. Which provides for the payment of lower figures for cheaper smartphones, but which seems in line with the payment of 5 euros for each iPhone.
However, the situation remains open, we will keep you updated.