We usually expect Apple to be on the winning side of lawsuits, but its luck just ran out. Yesterday, a jury found Apple guilty of using technology belonging to the University of Wisconsin, and the decision could cost the tech giant $824 million.
The lawsuit was originally filed in January last year by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), an organisation that enforces the copyright of the university, and deals with the technology used in some of Apple’s most important products. Significantly, Apple has been found guilty of using the University’s tech in the A7, A8 and A8X processors – the chips that power the iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus.
The only question now is how much Apple will have to pay the University, with some estimates putting the figure at over $862 million.
The patent and further issues
Originally filed in 1998, the patent has become a good source of income for the university; in 2008 it sued Intel for a similar infringement and received an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed amount.
However, the story isn’t over yet. Only last month, WARF launched a similar second lawsuit against Apple. Its target? The A9 and A9X chips used in the brand-new iPhone 6s and the iPad Pro.
Read what we thought of the brand-new iPhone 6s.
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