Apple has be
ordered by a federal court of Texas to pay Smartflash $533 million for
infrigment of the 3 patents after it was found to be used in the different
softwares being used by the company even in the iTunes Store.
Although Smartflash
had asked for $852 million for the damages it had incurred it is still a hefty
blow to the Tech giant Apple. Smartflash had sued Apple in May 2013 accussing
Apple of infringing its patents and using them in the softwares for accessing
and storing of videos, songs, etc.
The trial was held
in Tyler which has over the past decade become the focus of major patent
litigation trials. Many high profile verdicts have come from this district.
Also Smartflash the accuser company is also from Tyler.
Smartflash doesn’t
have any products of its own however all the major income for this company
comes front the seven patents that it holds. The amount that Smartflash wanted
was based on the sales of the iPhone and Mac sales. However Apple believes that
the patents are at most worth $4.5 million. Apple argues that the feature is
not the only thing that decides the utility of a phone. The lawyer representing
Apple stated that People buy phones to make calls and not just using apps.
Other People Are Reading
| |
Apple was unsuccessful in its attempts to coax the jury that the patents
were not directly used by iTunes. It also failed in its attempt to get
Smartflash's patents cancelled.
Smartflash has filed
patent infringement lawsuits against HTC Corp, Samsung Electronics, and Google
Inc as well.
The case in
discussion is No. 13-cv-447 , Smartflash LLC, v. Apple Inc,, in the U.S.
District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.