The seven-year legal battle between Apple and California Institute of Technology has finally come to an end

The California Institute of Technology has reached an agreement to halt the lawsuit it filed in 2016 against Apple and semiconductor manufacturer Broadcom for ``infringing patents on Wi-Fi technology.'' Reuters reports.

Caltech ends high-stakes US patent fight with Apple and Broadcom | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/article/apple-caltech-lawsuit-idCAKBN31C1S5

Apple Settles 7-Year Wi-Fi Chip Patent Dispute With Caltech - MacRumors
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/10/12/apple-caltech-wi-fi-lawsuit-settlement/

California Institute of Technology claims that it obtained patents between 2006 and 2012, and claims that the technology used in Wi-Fi-enabled devices such as iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches infringes patents. In 2016, we filed a lawsuit against Broadcom, which provides Wi-Fi chips, for an injunction to prohibit the sale of the products in question and for a jury trial.

Apple sued for infringing Wi-Fi patents - GIGAZINE

As a result of the jury trial, the U.S. District Court for the District of California ordered Apple and Broadcom to pay a total of $1.1 billion (approximately 120 billion yen at the exchange rate at the time) in damages to Apple and Broadcom in 2020, the highest amount in U.S. history for a patent trial. I have issued a judgment. In response to the ruling, Apple said, ``We did not directly infringe the California Institute of Technology's patents by simply using Broadcom's chip,'' and Broadcom said, ``The ruling is contrary to the facts and we do not agree with the legal basis.'' He has made comments and indicated that he is planning to appeal.

Apple and related chip makers ordered to pay damages totaling 120 billion yen for infringement of California Institute of Technology's patent - GIGAZINE

In February 2022, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Apple's patent invalidation request, but ruled that ``the $1.1 billion damages amount is not legally supportable and is not a just amount.'' and ordered a retrial. This retrial was scheduled to take place in June 2023, but it has now been postponed indefinitely to May 2023.

In a filing on October 11, 2023, the California Institute of Technology dismissed the lawsuit against Apple and Broadcom and offered not to refile the complaint. According to Reuters, Apple, Broadcom, and California Institute of Technology each told the court in August 2023 that they had reached a potential settlement.

In addition, the California Institute of Technology had also filed a patent-related lawsuit against Samsung, but a settlement was reached in August 2023. Furthermore, Microsoft, Dell, and HP are currently in dispute over Wi-Fi patents at the time of writing the article.