San Francisco: After a court determined Apple’s products infringe on a patent owned by Ericsson, the tech giant’s 5G-equipped iPhones and iPads are banned from sale and import in Colombia.
In an escalation of an ongoing patent infringement war between Apple and Ericsson, Apple has fallen victim to a court decision in Bogota, reports AppleInsider.
The two companies are fighting over 5G patents owned by Ericsson, which Apple is alleged to have infringed upon.
The Juzgado 042 Civil del Circuito de Bogota in Colombia’s capital declared in April that Apple’s 5G hardware infringes on claim 13 of Colombian patent NC2019/0003681.
FOSS Patents reports the patent, deemed to be standards-essential to 5G and granted to Ericsson in 2019, is said by the court to remain valid until December 2037.
After April’s infringement, Ericsson posted a bond worth $50,000 the following month, for enforcement to take place, the report said.
The court then ordered a preliminary injunction on July 6 impacting Apple Colombia S.A.S, the Cupertino company’s subsidiary in the country.
Under the injunction, Apple is banned from importing, selling, advertising, or otherwise commercializing any products infringing the patent, which means any 5G-equipped iPhone or iPad.
Apple also has to “warn and communicate” with retailers, social media platforms, mass media, and other firms to ensure compliance.
The court also orders Colombia’s customs authority, the Direccion de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales, to prevent imports of the affected hardware.
–IANS
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