Apple today has been ordered by a U.S. judge to pay $507 million in damages to the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s patent licensing arm for patent infringement. The ruling comes after the case’s jury ruled Apple owed $234 million, making the judge’s decision nearly double that of the jury (via Reuters).
The lawsuit is based on the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation’s 1998 patent for improving chip efficiency. The foundation claims that Apple’s A7, A8, and A8X chips, found in the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and various iPads, all violate the patent. While Apple had initially asked the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to review the validity of the patent, its request was denied.
Apple was originally found guilty in 2015 and faced damages of up to $862 million. That number was later slashed t0 $234 after a judge ruled Apple had not willfully infringed on the patent. U.S. District Judge William Conley added to the damages today because Apple continued to infringe on the patent until it expired in December of 2016.
Apple is appealing the ruling and has not yet commented on today’s findings.
While this case is seemingly wrapping up, Apple is still facing another lawsuit from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The alumni foundation sued Apple in 2015 arguing that the A9 and A9X chips found in the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, and iPad Pro infringe upon the same patent.
WARF has been successful in past cases. It sued Intel in 2008 on similar grounds, though the case was settled outside of court the day before trial.
