Judge Throws Out $532.9 Million Award Against Apple, Orders New Damages Trial

Apple has convinced a judge to throw out a $532.9 million patent infringement award against the company.

In February, Apple had been ordered to pay $532.9 million after a federal jury found iTunes infringed three patents held by Smartflash LLC. However, on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap said jurors may have been confused by his instructions on how to properly calculate royalties.

According to Reuters, Apple argued that the damages were too high because jurors might have improperly considered the entire market value of the products, rather than distinguishing between patented and unpatented features.


Gilstrap agreed saying, this "may have created a skewed damages horizon for the jury." A new trial for damages has been set for Sept. 14 in Tyler, Texas. Smartflash had originally been seeking $852 million in damages.

Notably, the Smartflash has filed another lawsuit against Apple aiming to make the company pay for using patents in devices that were not covered in the previous case -- including the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and iPad Air 2.

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