The London Court of Appeal dismissed Apple Inc.’s (AAPL.O) appeal in a protracted legal battle with a U.S. patent holder on Tuesday, finding that the tech giant violated two telecommunications patents used in products including iPhones and iPads.
Apple was sued in 2019 by Texas-based Optis Cellular Technologies LLC for using patents that Optis claims are necessary for specific technical standards, such 4G.
Two of Optis’ 4G inventions were determined to be “standard essential” patents by London’s High Court last year, and they were violated by Apple.
Apple appealed against that decision in May, arguing that the two patents in issue were not essential to 4G standards and that it had not infringed the patents.
But its challenge was rejected by the Court of Appeal, with Judge Colin Birss saying in a written ruling that the High Court was “right to reject (Apple’s) argument for non-infringement” and on the issue of the patents being essential.
Apple and Optis did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Tuesday’s ruling is the latest decision in the legal battle between Apple and Optis, which began in 2019 and has prompted six separate trials and several appellate hearings in Britain alone.
The Court of Appeal last month upheld an appeal by Optis against an earlier decision to revoke two other 4G-related patents, following a ruling in October that Optis is entitled to an injunction to stop Apple infringing its patents before a court has ruled on the fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms of use.
Apple was granted permission earlier this year to appeal against the October ruling.
