Apple is threatening to leave UK, here’s why

Lawyers representing Apple in the UK over a patent fight with Optis Cellular have threatened to leave the UK. Apple thinks that paying the patent fees of around $7 billion to Optis is a bit too much and is “commercially unacceptable”. If courts in the UK forces Apple to pay the fees, then it said it could “quit the UK market”, as per a report by This is Money.
The courts haven’t decided on the fee amount yet but it is expected to be around $7 billion. Optis has dragged Apple to court over an alleged patent infringement for using ‘standardised’ 3G and 4G technology in the iPhone.
Courts in the UK can declare a set rate for patent payments globally but how much Apple will have to pay will be ultimately decided in a trial in 2022. As per the report by This is Money, Justice Meade in a hearing said that Apple “might be disappointed” by this set rate.
In response to this, Marie Demetriou, lawyer representing Apple said , “I’m not sure that is right. Apple’s position is it should indeed be able to reflect on the terms and decide whether commercially it is right to accept them or to leave the UK market. There may be terms that are set by the court which are just commercially unacceptable.”
Last month, Apple faced a similar lawsuit in the US over Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity patents. The lawsuit alleged that virtually all of Apple products that support Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity infringe on a set of wireless communication patents.
The complaint, lodged in the US District Court for the Western District of Texas, claims that Apple products — like iPhones and iPads — infringe on specific claims in 13 different patents owned by non-practicing entity Smart Mobile, LLC.