Apple secured a fresh legal victory after a jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas ruled that the company did not infringe five wireless technology patents asserted by Optis Wireless Technology LLC and its affiliates. The verdict ends the latest chapter in a dispute that began in 2019 and previously resulted in $2 million jury awards that were later set aside. The jury found no infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 8,411,557, 8,385,284, 8,102,833, 8,019,332, and 9,001,774, which Optis claimed were used in Apple’s iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch devices. An Apple spokesperson welcomed the decision, stating the company was pleased the jury rejected the claims.
Apple criticized Optis’ business model, with the spokesperson saying, “Optis makes no products, and its sole business is to sue companies, which it has done repeatedly to Apple in an attempt to obtain an excessive payout.” Optis said it will seek review of the verdict in the district court and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. An Optis spokesperson responded, “While we respect the jury’s decision, we are incredibly disappointed by this outcome.” The case follows years of retrials after earlier verdicts were overturned over procedural and damages issues, including the handling of patent licensing obligations.
