Apple has been ordered to pay $532.9 million in an iTunes patent infringement case, Bloomberg reports. Texas-based Smartflash LLC brought a suit against Apple claiming that the Cupertino company infringed three patents related to iTunes digital rights management and “inventions related to data storage and managing access through patent systems.” The original claim sought $852 million in damages as an entitlement to a percentage of sales of all of Apple’s devices capable of accessing iTunes.
Apple had responded to the allegations by stating that it did not recognize the Smartflash patents, pointing out that “Smartflash makes no products, has no employees, creates no jobs, has no U.S. presence, and is exploiting our patent system to seek royalties for technology Apple invented.” Apple lawyers repeatedly argued that the patents in question were invalid and that Smartflash’s royalty demands were “excessive and unsupportable,” noting that Apple should not be required to pay royalties on the full price of an iPhone when the dispute only pertains to a single feature, stating that “It doesn’t make a lick of sense that one person would buy an iPhone and not make calls.” Apple notes that it will appeal the decision.
Smartflash, which appears to be in the sole business of having licensed seven patents, has also launched patent infringement claims against Samsung, Google, and Amazon.
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