A UK appeals court has ruled that Apple must pay Optis 502 million $ for a global license to use patents related to 4G technology. This is significantly more than the previous amount of 56 million $ awarded by the High Court.
The decision was made in favor of Optis Cellular Technology LLC, a company that holds the rights to standard-setting patents related to wireless technologies. The court confirmed that Apple used Optis patents in its iPhones and iPads without proper compensation, covering the period from 2013 to 2027. Optis representatives said that the verdict “reflects the true value” of their technology, which provides high-speed connectivity to millions of devices around the world.
Apple, in turn, has already announced its intention to appeal this decision, emphasizing that Optis “does not manufacture products”, but earns exclusively from patent lawsuits.
The dispute between the companies has been ongoing since 2019. Optis appealed to the court in London, arguing that its patents are key to communication standards, and are used by Apple without an appropriate FRAND license (fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory). In 2023, a lower court ordered Apple to pay 56.43 million $, but Optis appealed this as too small an amount. The appeals court found Optis’ arguments well-founded, awarding the payment more than 8 times higher.
This decision could become a precedent in cases of standardized patents, especially in an environment where large technology companies avoid direct payments to licensees. The Apple-Optis case shows that even IT giants cannot ignore intellectual property. It is also a signal to other companies that use proprietary communication standards to review their agreements and avoid litigation that could cost hundreds of millions.
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