Judge tosses $1.1 billion CalTech lawsuit ruling against Apple

“The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said the award, one of the largest in U.S. history for a patent case, was not justified by the record, ordering a new trial.”

What you need to know

A judge has thrown out a $1.1 billion ruling against Apple and Broadcom.
The pair were sued by CalTech over Wi-Fi technology patents.
A Judge said the damages award wasn’t justified and ordered a new trial.

A judge has tossed out a $1.1 billion lawsuit ruling against Apple and Broadcom, stating the amount of damages awarded was not justified based on the record.

From Reuters:

(Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Broadcom Inc (AVGO.O)on Friday convinced a U.S. appeals court to throw out a jury verdict requiring them to pay $1.1 billion for infringing California Institute of Technology patents related to Wi-Fi technology used in iPhones and other Apple devices.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said the award, one of the largest in U.S. history for a patent case, was not justified by the record, ordering a new trial.):

In January 2020 CalTech was awarded $1.1 billion by a jury in a patent case regarding Wi-Fi technology, the suit was first filed back in 2016. Both Apple and Broadcom appealed the ruling, which awarded about $837 million from Apple and $270 million from Broadcom.

Broadcom is a major supplier to Apple, and the pair reportedly signed two multi-year deals worth some $15 billion in January 2020. Broadcom supplies Apple with radio-frequency chips used in devices like its best iPhones, iPads, and the Apple Watch.

The judge ordered that a new trial be held in the case, stating that the record did not justify the level of damages that were awarded.