Apple could be liable for up to $862 million in damages, after a Madison, Wisconsin jury found the iOS device maker had used technology owned by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s licensing arm in its A7, A8, and A8X processors, without permission.
The jury in Madison, Wisconsin also said the patent, which improves processor efficiency, was valid. The trial will now move on to determine how much Apple owes in damages.
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) sued Apple in January 2014, saying Apple’s chips, which are used in its popular iOS devices, infringed WARF’s 1998 patent for improving chip efficiency. The jury was tasked with considering whether Apple’s A7, A8 and A8X processors violated the patent.
The iPhone maker denied any infringement, and argued that the patent was invalid. Apple has previously asked the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to review the patent’s validity, but the agency rejected the bid in April.
U.S. District Judge William Conley, who is presiding over the case, recently ruled that Apple could be liable for up to $862.4 million in damages. The trial was scheduled for three phases: liability, damages, and whether Apple willfully infringed the patent, which could lead to enhanced penalties.
WARF has also launched a second lawsuit against Apple, which target the company’s newest A-series chips, the A9 and A9X, which are used in the recently released iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, and the soon to be released iPad Pro.
