Caltech sues Apple over alleged Wi-Fi patent infringement
31 May 2016
The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has alleged Apple has been using Wi-Fi technology, which infringed four of its patents. The university claims in a suit filed with the US District Court for the Central District of California, that the iPhone maker had infringed four of its patents for improved data transmission rates and performance over Wi-Fi.
These patents were awarded between 2006 and 2012, and pertain to technology implemented in the most recent 802.11n and 802.11ac Wi-Fi standards. According to MacRumors, a number of iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch devices incorporate this technology.
Apple supplier Broadcom, one of Apple's main suppliers of Wi-Fi chips has also been named in the suit. Caltech has called for a jury trial against Apple and Broadcom, and a restraining court order against the sale of the devices.
Commentators say Caltech could very well win. They say last year Apple was ordered to pay damages for infringing a patent owned by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The patents relate to IRA / LDPC encoding and decoding technology, Caltech said according to Patently Apple. The case said both Apple and Broadcom are "jointly and severally liable for infringement ".
Caltech has only asked for "adequate" compensation along with any additional relief the court might feel necessary, without claiming any dollar value.
