Ericsson has reached a patent license agreement with Apple to settle a long-running dispute between the two companies related to cellular technology patents.
The legal battle dates back to early 2015 when the two companies sued each other over dozens of Ericsson-held patents related to cellular technology used in Apple products, including the iPhone and iPad.
Ericsson and Apple had been involved in lengthy negotiations over the use of the 5G patents in the iPhone, following the expiration of a previous deal. As each part of the previous deal expired, Ericsson filed lawsuits against Apple.
Ericsson and Apple have now entered into a new multi-year agreement for cross-licensing cellular-related patents and additional patent rights.
Christina Petersson, Chief Intellectual Property Officer at Ericsson says: “We are pleased to settle the litigations with Apple with this agreement, which is of strategic importance to our 5G licensing program. This will allow both companies to continue to focus on bringing the best technology to the global market.”
The settlement ends the lawsuits filed by both companies in several countries, including in the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Texas, as well as the complaints filed before the United States International Trade Commission (USITC).
The agreement also includes commitments from both companies to strengthen their existing collaborations, “including in technology, interoperability and standards development.”