Telecom network vendor Ericsson has filed suits against Apple in Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands to resolve its patent battle.
The development follows the expiry of Ericsson’s offer to enter into arbitration with Apple to reach a mutually beneficial global licensing agreement.
Kasim Alfalahi, chief intellectual property officer at Ericsson, said: “Apple continues to profit from Ericsson’s technology without having a valid license in place. Our technology is used in many features and functionality of today’s communication devices.”
The proceedings in the three countries were initiated and refer to the 2G and 4G/LTE standards, as well as other technology that is not standardized, but is related to the design of semiconductor components and non-cellular wireless communications.
Ericsson has been trying to reach an agreement with Apple on a global license for Ericsson’s patents on terms for more than two years. But the companies have failed to reach an amicable resolution.
The telecom network supplier said its national lawsuits in Europe are other efforts to protect and support its investment in R&D.
Ericsson said it is committed to licensing its standard-essential patents on FRAND terms to provide a level playing field for all companies, lower the barriers of entry and increase competition and innovation.
Ericsson said it has more than 37,000 granted patents, and equally as many pending application, worldwide. To date, Ericsson has signed more than 100 patent-licensing agreements with most major players in the industry.
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