Ericsson has stepped up its legal efforts against Apple, and will now pursue the iPhone 6 maker through the courtrooms of the UK, Germany and Netherlands.
The Swedish telecommunications firm claims Apple is infringing on a number of its patents, which relate to 2G and 4G/LTE network standards.
While Ericsson believes these patents are “essential”, Apple argues that they aren’t anything of the sort.
The company is seeking between $240 million and $725 million in royalties per year, which Apple considers excessive.
Ericsson says it has been “trying to reach an agreement with Apple on a global license for Ericsson’s patents on terms that are fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory” for more than two years.
It also claims it had been willing to enter into arbitration with Apple to strike up a global licensing agreement for its patents. However, this offer is no longer on the table.
“Apple continues to profit from Ericsson’s technology without having a valid license in place,” said Kasim Alfalahi, Ericsson’s chief intellectual property officer.
“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.”
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The firms are already engaged in battle in the US, with Ericsson having tried to block Apple products from being sold in the country.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.