Apple Ordered to Pay Caltech $838 Million for Infringing on WiFi Patents

Wednesday January 29, 2020 4:03 pm PST by Juli Clover

Apple and Broadcom have been ordered to pay the California Institute of Technology a fine of $1.1 billion for infringing on Caltech's patents related to WiFi transmissions, reports Bloomberg.

Apple has been ordered to pay $838 million, while Broadcom has been ordered to pay $270 million, but Apple plans to file an appeal.

Caltech Wi Fi featured
Caltech in 2016 filed a lawsuit against Broadcom and Apple, claiming that the two companies infringed on a series of patents granted between 2006 and 2012. The patents in question relate to IRA/LDPC codes that use simpler encoding and decoding circuity for improved data transmission rates and performance, with the technologies used in the 802.11n and 802.11ac Wi-Fi standards supported by many Apple products.

At the time, Caltech said that Apple was infringing on four of its patents with the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, Apple TV, Airport routers, and Apple Watch. Caltech demanded a jury trial and preliminary and permanent injunctions in the U.S. against Apple products using its technology. A jury today ruled that Apple and Broadcom violated three of the four patents.

Apple and Broadcom denied infringing on the patents and even filed counterclaims against Caltech, urging the court to invalidate the patents in question.

Apple claimed that because Caltech didn't file the lawsuit until 2016, six years after the 802.11n wireless standard was published, the time limit to collect damages had expired. Apple also argued that Caltech does not make, use, or sell products that practice the claims in the asserted patents.

Tags: Caltech, Apple Lawsuits, Patent Lawsuits

Popular Stories

Apple Pushes Back on DOJ Request for More Evidence

Friday October 23, 2026 9:02 pm PDT by Hartley Charlton

Apple and the U.S. Department of Justice disagree over how much newer evidence Apple must hand over in their antitrust case, according to a new court filing this week. The two sides previously agreed to a June 20, 2025 cutoff for Apple's records. With the evidence-gathering phase now scheduled to end in late May 2027, lawyers want Apple to supply documents created up to 30 days before that ...

• 24 comments

Apple Could Owe Even More After $5.7 Billion Patent Verdict

Tuesday October 20, 2026 8:24 pm PDT by Hartley Charlton

Apple could face additional payments on top of a $5.7 billion patent verdict, with Taction Technology asking a federal judge for more damages, interest, and royalties on future iPhone and Apple Watch sales. The request follows a September jury verdict that Apple's Taptic Engine infringed two Taction patents covering haptic feedback, the technology that produces taps and vibrations in...

• 47 comments

Apple Hires Former Meta Lawyer to Oversee Global Litigation

Saturday October 17, 2026 1:21 pm PDT by Hartley Charlton

Apple has hired former Meta lawyer Scott Tucker to lead its litigation team, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Tucker will become Apple's vice president of global litigation and financial services, a new position overseeing commercial lawsuits, patent disputes, and legal matters involving its financial products. He previously led litigation at Meta and held a senior legal role at Morgan...

• 29 comments

Top Rated Comments

MikhailT

89 months ago

I can understand a for-profit entity going after patent violations, but educational institutions should be donating their work to the world for the greater good, I think. What's the motive behind this? Schools are not in the business of profiting from patents, are they?

Yes, they are. In US, schools need to make money to fund their research and since a lot of companies use their research without paying for it, schools are turning into patent trolls to get some funding.

Tuition isn't enough to pay for all of the advanced tech stuff that they use and even tuition is too expensive.

I agree with you that state-funded school research should be automatically in the public domain but that's not it works in USA.

In my opinion, patent trolls should not be allowed to file a lawsuit after 5 years and these type of patents should be automatically expired after 10 years. Software patents should be banned.

Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)

hagjohn

89 months ago

Maybe that's why Apple's profits are so high, they haven't paid any patents costs.

Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)

robjulo

89 months ago

They should be donating their work to a private business? Apple should be donating it’s huge cash hoard for the world’s greater good instead of hoarding it in Ireland. How about we start there.

I can understand a for-profit entity going after patent violations, but educational institutions should be donating their work to the world for the greater good, I think. What's the motive behind this? Schools are not in the business of profiting from patents, are they?

Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)

ikramerica

89 months ago

Apple should settle by donating $850M to Caltech scholarship fund.

Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Infinite Vortex

89 months ago

Schools are not in the business of profiting from patents, are they?

The last time I looked most, if not all, educational facilities need more than smiles and candy-floss to keep the lights on let alone fund the student/staff educations and research programs. And the fact of the matter is they have a right to their intellectual property and claim upon its value just the same as anyone else.

if you look at it the other way this, if proven, is tantamount to stealing from the eduction of the future.

But it's sad that Apple seems to think there's a use by date for being fair to those who create technologies. Interesting that didn't seem to apply when they chased Samsung for their infringements.

Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)

coolfactor

89 months ago

I can understand a for-profit entity going after patent violations, but educational institutions should be donating their work to the world for the greater good, I think. What's the motive behind this? Schools are not in the business of profiting from patents, are they?

Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Read All Comments

Apple Ordered to Pay Caltech $838 Million for Infringing on WiFi Patents

Popular Stories

Apple Pushes Back on DOJ Request for More Evidence

Apple Could Owe Even More After $5.7 Billion Patent Verdict

Apple Hires Former Meta Lawyer to Oversee Global Litigation

Top Rated Comments

Next Article

Videos

Guides

Upcoming

Other Stories