A court found today that Apple did not infringe wireless technology patents held by Wi-Lan. The Canadian firm accused several companies, including Apple, HTC, and HP of using proprietary wireless networking tech without a proper license. Apple was the only party who did not settle out of the suit, opting instead to fight back.
Apple claimed that Qualcomm, the manufacturer who supplied the wireless components in question, was responsible for the license but that Wi-Lan was seeking a claim against Apple, not Qualcomm, due to the chance at a bigger payday—in this case a royalty from every iPhone sold with the allegedly-infringing wireless hardware.
Wi-Lan has suffered heavy financial losses over the past few quarters, mostly due to litigation costs. Apple’s attorneys argued that this lawsuit was an attempt to recoup some of those losses by… getting involved in another lawsuit. Unfortunately for Wi-Lan this absolutely foolproof plan backfired and the company is now responsible for even more litigation fees.
