Apple has been ordered to pay nearly $1 billion in damages for infringing upon patents held by the California Institute of Technology. According to a report from Bloomberg, a jury decided today that Apple and Broadcom must pay a combined $1.1 billion to Caltech.
Apple is responsible for $838 million, while Broadcom is responsible for $270 million, Caltech lawyers say. The jury was responsible with determining whether Broadcom’s chips used Caltech’s patents, and how much Apple and Broadcom should have to pay in damages.
The lawsuit was first filed in 2016, with Caltech saying that WiFi chips made by Broadcom and used by Apple infringement on its patents. The lawsuit cited all of Apple’s products: iPhone, iPad, Mac, iMac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, HomePod, and even the discontinued AirPort routers.
Apple denied infringing on the patents:
Meanwhile, Law360 explains that the jury sided with Caltech’s argument that the patented technologies were “key to keeping Apple competitive in the cellphone market.” The three Caltech patents at the heart of the case related to WiFi performance and balancing speed with factors like heat, power, and chip size.
The only issues before the jury were whether the Broadcom chips used the university’s patents and, if so, how much in damages was owed.
How did the jury come to the $838 million figure? Caltech lawyer William Price said the number was based on Apple’s sales of over 598 million infringing devices in the United States.
Apple has already said that it plans to appeal the verdict. Broadcom has not yet commented on the outcome of the case.
