Apple has been trumpeting its capability to innovate and is very protective of its technologies. It has, for instance, taken Samsung to court for allegedly copying the "Swipe to Unlock" function in its iOS software, HNGN previously reported. But the tables have now been turned, as Apple was found guilty by a U.S. jury Tuesday of using a technology owned by University of Wisconsin without permission.
The jury found the complaint valid and the company could face up to $862 million in damages, according to a Reuters report.
The patent in question covers a system that improves the chip efficiency found in popular Apple devices. These include the A7, A8 and A8X processors that power the iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus. Representatives of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) filed the lawsuit in February 2014, alleging that the chips violated the technology developed at the University and patented in 1998, The Verge reports. A separate WARF lawsuits against Apple target its newer chips such as the A9 and A9X, used in the iPhone 6S, 6S Plus and the iPad Pro.
U.S. District Judge William Conley, who is presiding over the case, declared that Apple faces enhanced penalty or more than the $862 million figure if it was found that it willfully infringed the patent, according to BBC News.
Apple has attempted to block the lawsuit in the past. Last April, for instance, the company has asked the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to invalidate WARF's patent. The petition was refused.
