A COURT IN GERMANY has dismissed a claim of €1.57 billion against Apple over alleged infringement of a European patent.
IPCom, a German company that regularly licenses patents, claimed that Apple violated one of its patents named EP 1 841 268.
The patent covers a technology which allows a device to receive priority on a network in the event of an emergency, even if the network is busy.
It argued that the patent is essential to 3G and LTE devices, but Germany’s Mannheim regional court dismissed the case. The court did not give a reason for its decision.
IPCom, which also had a similar lawsuit filed against HTC thrown out as well, doesn’t make any products, but owns 1,200 patents relating to mobile technology. It licenses its patents and files lawsuits to generate revenue, meaning it has brought several firms such as Nokia to court over alleged patent infringement.
Earlier in the week, a number of companies including Apple, Microsoft, Samsung and Google petitioned the European Union this week about patent trolls. They asked for the EU to weaken the ability of non-manufacturers to win injunctions in similar cases.
In the letter, it said that a unified patent system has the potential to “decrease the costs of obtaining patent protection, increase European competitiveness, and support the long-term growth of innovative industries in Europe and abroad,” and would reduce the “negative impact” patent trolls have on innovation.
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