Apple Stock News
In May of 2013, a company called Smartflash sued Apple for infringing six of its patents pertaining to data storage and management. Last week, a jury ruled that Apple was guilty of infringing on three of those patents in the creation and sale of iTunes. Apple was ordered to pay Smartflash, a company that merely serves as a patent holder and licensor that does not manufacture its own products, $532.9 million.
The company has now sued Apple once again, this time for newer products. Smartflash added another patent to the suit, arguing that Apple uses seven of its patents in the technology for the iPad Air 2, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6, and iPad Mini 3. The seventh patent included in this lawsuit was awarded to Smartflash in August 2014. Now, another company is suing Apple for copyright infringement as well.
Swedish telecommunications equipment vendor Ericsson has filed nine lawsuits against Apple seeking to ban several Apple products in the US. The lawsuits claim infringement upon 41 patents. Many of the patents it is allegedly infringing upon are key to the core of how smartphones operate, including the ability to make calls. Apple held licenses for these patents until last month, at which point the two companies could not come to terms. Apple suggested the deal proposed by Ericsson was unfair, and they would let the courts help find a compromise.