Apple Pays at Least $10 Million to License Palm-Related Patents From ACCESS - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Pays at Least $10 Million to License Palm-Related Patents From ACCESS

by

As noted by Mac Otakara, Japanese firm ACCESS today announced [Google translation] that Apple has agreed to license a set of patents related to Palm's smartphone technology. ACCESS acquired the patents when it purchased PalmSource in 2005.

ACCESS notes that the portfolio of patents, which was licensed to Samsung in 2011, includes intellectual property from Palm, PalmSource, Bell Communications Research, and Geoworks.

access_banner
The press release from ACCESS indicates that it will record roughly 1 billion yen ($10 million) in revenue for the quarter as part of the deal, which closed on March 31. ACCESS will evaluate the impact of the deal on the following quarter and full fiscal year and will revise its earnings forecast appropriately.

Top Rated Comments

175 months ago
doesn't specifically said what kind of patent apple is buying, which makes me curious.

but 10 million dollar for the patent must be an important one.

There's a portfolio of patents.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
175 months ago
Remember when this was awesome?



I kind of miss palm. I still have my Tungsten E.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
175 months ago
Palm developed the first popular handheld tablets and smartphones that sold millions of devices, years before the iPhone (but after the Newton). Thus Palm patented tons of stuff in that area.

Lots of mobile app developers started out doing apps for PalmOS. PilotGear/PalmGear was the big app Store.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spazzcat Avatar
175 months ago
doesn't specifically said what kind of patent apple is buying, which makes me curious.

but 10 million dollar for the patent must be an important one.

They are not even buying they are licensing for that amount.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tankmaze Avatar
175 months ago
doesn't specifically said what kind of patent apple is buying, which makes me curious.

but 10 million dollar for the patent must be an important one.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
175 months ago
Apple should just buy them, then revoke the licenses from Samsung.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple iCloud Plus expansion hero

iCloud+ Now Includes Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and Curated Apple Music Stations in Over 100 Countries

Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:43 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries. In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....
Everything New Your iPhone Can Do on iOS 27 Feature 1

50 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27 - Out Now!

Monday September 14, 2026 10:48 pm PDT by
Apple released iOS 27 this week, and despite the company's focus this year on refining its flagship operating system and nixing bugs, there are still many additional features to explore, not least of which is Apple's new context-aware Siri, re-tooled for the generative AI era. Which iPhones Support Every iOS 27 Feature? This year's major iPhone software update isn't all about AI, though,...
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...