Ericsson Files Patent Infringement Lawsuits Against Apple in Europe

Following lawsuits filed in the US, Ericsson has announced that it will move the patent dispute with Apple to Europe, as well: It has filed suits in Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.

The move comes after two years of failed negotiations: Ericsson has been trying to reach an agreement with Apple on a global licence for its patents on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms.

Since the licence agreement expired in January 2015, Apple has been selling the iPhone, iPad, and other products that violate Ericsson’s patented technologies, the telecom company says. You may recall that earlier this year Ericsson threatened to move the dispute to court and in front of the it ITC. The latter agreed to investigate the matter, but all that takes time, and Apple has continued to sell products that infringe Ericsson’s patents.

Kasim Alfalahi, Chief Intellectual Property Officer at Ericsson, says: “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. We are confident the courts in Germany, the UK and the Netherlands will be able to help us resolve this matter in a fair manner.”

Apple filed a lawsuit against Ericsson in January, claiming the latter was asking excessive fees for non-standard-essential LTE patents. Ericsson countersued in Texas, and now Apple will have to pick up the fight in the European courts, as well.