Apple Inc has been ordered to pay $532.9 million (roughly Rs. 33,040 crores) after a federal jury found its iTunes software infringed three patents owned by Texas-based patent licensing company Smartflash LLC.Though Smartflash had been asking for $852 million (roughly Rs. 52,825 crores) in damages, the verdict, which came late Tuesday night, was still a costly blow for the U.S. tech giant, the most valuable company in the world.
After deliberating for eight hours in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, the jury said that Apple not only used the Smartflash patents without permission, but did so willfully.Apple suggested the outcome was another reason why reform is needed in the patent system to curb litigation by companies that do not make products themselves, such as Smartflash.
"We refused to pay off this company for the ideas our employees spent years innovating and unfortunately we have been left with no choice but to take this fight up through the court system," an Apple spokeswoman said in a statement to Reuters.
A representative for Smartflash could not immediately be reached.Smartflash sued Apple in May, 2013 alleging the Cupertino, California-based company's iTunes software infringed its patents related to accessing and storing downloaded songs, videos and games.
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