Apple Owes Spanish Company Over $110 Million for Violating Wireless Patents

Apple has to pay $110.7 million for infringing on wireless patents owned by Spanish company TOT Power Control, reports Reuters. A jury found that transceivers used in Apple devices rely on 3G wireless technology owned by TOT.

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TOT was formed by engineer Alvaro Lopez-Medrano, who patented a technology that manages "how power is used to respond to decreases and increases in the ratio of radio signal to interference." TOT does not manufacture any products, and it has also sued LG, Samsung, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.

In the original filing in 2021, TOT said that it had approached Apple "and its suppliers of wireless baseband processors" to license TOT technology, but Apple and other companies "refused."

Apple claimed that the TOT patents it was accused of infringing were invalid, but it was unable to prove that in court. TOT was seeking damages and ongoing royalties.

Apple told Reuters that it is disappointed with the ruling and that it will appeal.

Top Rated Comments

Chaos215bar2 Avatar
13 weeks ago
It would be really nice if this article contained basic information like what court made the decision. (What country, even.)
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chrono1081 Avatar
13 weeks ago
So this patent troll patents something that phones were already doing since forever and now he wants money? I hope he gets bankrupted.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Endymion.dark Avatar
13 weeks ago

Get it together, Spain…
Funny how “getting it together” apparently includes inventing cutting-edge wireless tech that Apple ends up using without paying. Maybe Spain’s more together than you think
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
13 weeks ago

Apple told Reuters that it is disappointed with the ruling and that it will appeal.
This is becoming an evergreen statement for Apple.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
13 weeks ago

Big publicly traded companies generally attract thousands of frivolous lawsuits. That's how the world works.
And a host of very legitimate ones in the case of Apple.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
breenmask Avatar
13 weeks ago

This is becoming an evergreen statement for Apple.
Big publicly traded companies generally attract thousands of frivolous lawsuits. That's how the world works.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)