Caltech is suing Apple, Broadcomm for WiFi chip patent infringement

Apple might be in big trouble once again as the tech giant, as well as smartphone manufacturer Broadcomm, is being sued by the California Institute of Technology for patent infringement. The claim is that most of Apple’s products, from the iPhone 5 going forward, used WiFi patented by Caltech.

According to the case listing, reported by MacRumours, Caltech says the patents in question, granted between 2006 and 20012, are crucial to the development of WiFi 802.11n and 8022.11ac. The patents “allow for faster data transmissions” while simultaneously lowering the hardware requirements for wireless transmission. The lawsuit is largely directed at Broadcomm, the company that makes the WiFi chips used in the iPhone, MacBook, and other Apple offerings. Apple has also been included in the case as it is arguably Broadcomm’s biggest customer, providing around 14 percent of their annual revenue.

While patent trolls are aplenty in this day and age, it’s highly unlikely that Caltech would file a frivolous lawsuit just to make a quick buck of a large corporation. That being said, Apple’s future is in big trouble, as Caltech is seeking a permanent ban in the US on the sale of the company’s products, as well as payment for damages. It’s likely Apple and Broadcomm will both have to either go to trial or settle outside of court, as the technology involved is crucial to their products.