Updated Feb. 5, 2014 9:36 a.m. ET
FRANKFURT— Apple Inc. AAPL +0.34% Apple Inc. U.S.: Nasdaq $510.54 +1.75 +0.34% Feb. 5, 2014 11:08 am Volume (Delayed 15m) : 4.24M P/E Ratio 12.58 Market Cap $453.84 Billion Dividend Yield 2.39% Rev. per Employee $2,163,820 02/05/14 Apple Hit With $2 Billion Pate... 02/04/14 Apple Gains No Sympathy in Fig... 02/04/14 Second Circuit Takes a Bite ou... More quote details and news » faces a claim for $2 billion in damages from a German patent owner, which says the tech giant infringed on a cellular telephone technology it owns, a German court said Wednesday.
IPCom GmbH accuses Apple of improperly using a patent for technology that gives emergency calls priority on mobile networks. IPCom in 2007 bought the patent from Robert Bosch GmbH, a German automotive-parts company that was a pioneer in car phones but exited the business at the dawn of hand-held devices.
An Apple spokesman declined to comment.
The lawsuit at a regional court in Mannheim is the latest battle in the global fight over smartphone patents. Apple, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Motorola Mobility and others have launched multiple suits in several countries over recent years claiming licensing fees from rivals or seeking to hamper competitors.
IPCom's suit comes after the European Patent Office last month rejected requests from Apple, Nokia Corp. NOK1V.HE 0.00% Nokia Corp. Finland: Helsinki €5.02 0.00 0.00% Feb. 5, 2014 5:52 pm Volume : 14.52M P/E Ratio N/A Market Cap €18.80 Billion Dividend Yield N/A Rev. per Employee €258,195 02/04/14 Microsoft CEO Nadella - How Mi... 01/31/14 Judge Shows Compassion Toward ... 01/28/14 Nokia May Be Down, But Finland... More quote details and news » , HTC Corp., Vodafone Group VOD.LN -1.08% Vodafone Group PLC U.K.: London GBp216.20 -2.35 -1.08% Feb. 5, 2014 3:52 pm Volume : 81.69M P/E Ratio 0.05 Market Cap GBp105.92 Billion Dividend Yield 1.63% Rev. per Employee GBp457,161 01/28/14 Vodafone Shareholders Agree to... 01/28/14 Vodafone, Liberty Global Explo... 01/27/14 HEARD ON THE STREET: For AT&T,... More quote details and news » PLC and Ericsson to declare the patent invalid. IPCom said it has sued other companies for alleged infringement of the patent beside Apple, including Nokia.
In its lawsuit, IPCom is demanding more than €1.57 billion ($2.12 billion) from Apple for the use of the European patent. The technology gives handsets access to the networks of various mobile telecommunications providers. It is particularly vital for emergency services and police because it gives them priority access if networks are overloaded. It is a mandatory element of the UMTS and LTE cellphone standards, according to IPCom.
IPCom isn't a technology company but a patent assertion entity, sometimes referred to as a patent "troll." Such companies, which buy patents and claim royalties on them, are increasingly controversial. Many technology companies say they thwart product development and employment with frivolous lawsuits, while some inventors welcome their financing of research. But some inventors and universities say they promote innovation by paying for patents.
Write to Friedrich Geiger at friedrich.geiger@wsj.com
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