Apple vs Ericsson: the SEP patents acquired by Intel come out

There legal battle between Apple and Ericsson is enriched with a new episode. This time it is Apple to sue Ericsson, and it is the first time that this occurs on the basis of a violation (so far alleged) of a SEP patentthat is Standard Essential Patent or relative to an essential standard. It is the first time because Apple usually works on already existing technologies, it does not generate them. But the acquisition of the Intel’s smartphone modem division of 2019 allowed him to get hold of some SEP patents.

fosspatents.com reports that the procedure for the SEP patent on 4G / LTE technology has been entrusted to Munich Regional Court I, which in turn assigned it to the twenty-first civil section headed by Dr. Georg Werner. The dollars spent by Apple to purchase the essential patents of Intel’s modem division (millions of dollars, we assume) are therefore yielding a important counter-offensive in the Ericsson affair, since it is with the SEPs that Apple can really scare the Swedish multinational.

Since SEPs are, in other words, those essential for the creation of a product, the violation of one of them can determine the blocking of the sales of that product. That’s what has already happened second fosspatents.com to Apple in Colombiawhere Ericsson’s legal action should lead to the blocking of sales of iPhones and iPads with 5G connectivity, therefore, among others, iPhone 13, iPhone 12 and iPad Pro, and it is possible that the ban can be extended to other countries causing an even more important economic damage for the Apple.

Now, however, Apple, by bringing into play the SEPs acquired by Intel, has shown that it has an important tool to face Ericsson in an incisive way, and the fact that it has chosen to turn to the Munich Regional Court I is indicative of Apple’s determination: Munich, writes fosspatents.comis “the number one hotspot in the world”. The first hearing was set for February 15, 2023.