Since 2007, Apple and WiLAN have been embroiled in legal battles regarding the wireless capabilities of the iPhone.
Apple and non-practicing WiLAN have been involved in several patent infringement litigation and countersuits since the debut of the first iPhone. Apple was been forced to pay the patent aggregation $109 million in a 2020 verdict.
However, according to Reuters, a patent licence deal has now been inked by the two companies, which looks to resolve any conflicts.
In addition to WiLAN, Quarterhill Inc. has a subsidiary called Polaris Innovations, which is a subsidiary of Polaris Innovations. According to Quarterhill, “the settlement and dismissal of any lawsuits pending between WiLAN and Polaris and Apple in the United States, Canada and Germany” is part of the new arrangement.
WiLAN and Apple have had a long and contentious relationship that dates back to the iPhone’s introduction in 2007. Afterwards, WiLAN included Apple in its charges against a number of other firms for infringement on its Wi-Fi patents.
In certain cases, Apple has prevailed in court, like in 2013, when a jury ruled against WiLAN after a two-year trial.
In 2018, WiLAN won a patent infringement action against Apple, which resulted in Apple being compelled to pay $145 million in damages. Apple, on the other hand, was able to have the judgement lowered to to $10 million in 2019.
No additional comments have been made by any of the parties. A confidentiality agreement has been signed.