Apple Must Pay $506 million over use of PanOptis LTE patents

Apple has been ordered to pay a cool $506 million to PanOptis and related companies over the use of patents that it hasn't paid a licensing fee for. Those patents relate to the use of 4G LTE technology in Apple's iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches.

Not only was Apple found guilty of infringing upon the patents, but according to a Law360 report, it was also accused of doing so "willfully".

The Eastern District of Texas jury said Apple failed to prove any of PanOptis' challenged patent claims are invalid, and then said Apple willfully infringed the patents. The $506.2 million number is a royalty for past sales, according to the verdict form.

Apple has already said that it plans to appeal, saying that " lawsuits like this by companies who accumulate patents simply to harass the industry only serve to stifle innovation and harm consumers."

For their part, PanOptis and its companies say that they tried to come up with a deal with Apple that would allow it to acquire the licensing needed to avoid the dispute. Apple wasn't interested, however.

The case itself, interestingly, was the first in-person jury trial related to patents to take place in the United States. Not that it will matter to Apple when it's checking the back of Tim Cook's sofa for a spare $506 million.