• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Farm groups saved Bayer in court over RoundUp cancer claims. Five days later, Bayer called for tariffs on the ingredient farmers rely on

2

Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts

3

U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts

1

Farm groups saved Bayer in court over RoundUp cancer claims. Five days later, Bayer called for tariffs on the ingredient farmers rely on

2

Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts

3

U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts
TechApple

Caltech Is Apple’s Latest Patent Foe

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 31, 2016, 3:14 PM ET
Apple iPhone SE
Apple iPhone SE in Rose Gold.Jason Cipriani
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Apple is having patent troubles again.

California Institute of Technology, the top-notch science and engineering school in Pasadena, Calif., has filed a lawsuit against Apple (AAPL) and chipmaker Broadcom (BRCM) for allegedly infringing on its patents for wireless technologies.

In a court filing in a federal court for Central California, Caltech accused Apple and Broadcom of profiting off the use of its Wi-Fi technology in devices including iPhones, iPads, Apple Watch, and Macs. The patents relate specifically to the way Wi-Fi standards, including 802.11n and 802.11ac, use encoding and decoding to improve data performance and transmission.

Apple-tracking site MacRumors earlier reported on the lawsuit.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

The Caltech lawsuit, which includes four patents, is a bit complex. The lawsuit takes aim at Broadcom because its chips allegedly use the technology, but it also targets Apple, a Broadcom customer that uses the chips in its products.

 

 

Apple is no stranger to lawsuits. The company has been waging a patent battle with Samsung since 2011, when the companies both argued the other was stealing their technologies for smartphones and tablets. While they ended up dropping most of their suits, they’re expected to battle over patents in the U.S. Supreme Court later this year.

Apple has also faced several lawsuits from so-called “patent trolls,” or companies that hold patents they either acquired or obtained by inventing technologies. Patent trolls don’t actually create products and instead rely on lawsuits and royalties to make money.

Apple was most recently sued by such a company in Texas over iPhones being able to make calls and send emails, among other simple features. The case has yet to go to court.

For more on iPhone, watch: [fortune-brightcove videoid=4907426438001]

The case involving Caltech, however, is different because the school often invents technology and tries to commercialize it. In some cases, the university licenses technologies that it patents.

With Apple and Broadcom, Caltech argued that the companies used its patented technologies without its permission. The university is seeking unspecified damages.

While the case is far from being settled, Apple doesn’t have the best history when facing off against universities. As The Verge earlier noted, last year, a jury ruled that Apple must pay the University of Wisconsin-Madison $234 million for violating patents it holds in both iPhones and iPads.

Apple declined to comment on the Caltech lawsuit. Caltech and Broadcom did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Billionaires warned New York would scare off business. Anthropic and Airbnb just made their biggest bets on the city yet
Real EstateAnthropic
Billionaires warned New York would scare off business. Anthropic and Airbnb just made their biggest bets on the city yet
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 10, 2026
2 hours ago
This summer’s hottest IPOs are minting a new class of ultra-high-net-worth ‘IPO Bros’—and family offices are changing how they approach them
SuccessIPOs
This summer’s hottest IPOs are minting a new class of ultra-high-net-worth ‘IPO Bros’—and family offices are changing how they approach them
By Catherina GioinoJuly 10, 2026
3 hours ago
A row of people sit in a zoning meeting, many looking down or around the room.
EnvironmentData centers
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 10, 2026
7 hours ago
Marketing’s new mandate: Why AI is forcing CMOs to think like ‘mini CEOs’ 
EuropeCMO
Marketing’s new mandate: Why AI is forcing CMOs to think like ‘mini CEOs’ 
By Sam ForsdickJuly 10, 2026
8 hours ago
In 2026 so far, U.S. VCs have deployed a record-shattering $412.7 billion. Almost none of it is trickling down.
NewslettersTerm Sheet
In 2026 so far, U.S. VCs have deployed a record-shattering $412.7 billion. Almost none of it is trickling down.
By Allie GarfinkleJuly 10, 2026
13 hours ago
Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, during a Senate hearing in Washington, D.C. on May 8, 2025. (Photo: Nathan Howard/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
The problem with U.S. AI policy
By Andrew NuscaJuly 10, 2026
14 hours ago

Most Popular

Farm groups saved Bayer in court over RoundUp cancer claims. Five days later, Bayer called for tariffs on the ingredient farmers rely on
Economy
Farm groups saved Bayer in court over RoundUp cancer claims. Five days later, Bayer called for tariffs on the ingredient farmers rely on
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 9, 2026
1 day ago
Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts
Success
Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts
By Emma BurleighJuly 9, 2026
1 day ago
U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts
Economy
U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts
By Eleanor PringleJuly 10, 2026
12 hours ago
Self-made multimillionaire says Canadians 'give no money away' compared with Americans—research shows U.S. giving is more than twice as high
Success
Self-made multimillionaire says Canadians 'give no money away' compared with Americans—research shows U.S. giving is more than twice as high
By Preston ForeJuly 9, 2026
1 day ago
Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it
Middle East
Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it
By Jason MaJuly 10, 2026
6 hours ago
49% of young adults live at home, up 12 points since 2019. An economist says the fallout will reshape marriage, kids, and home-buying
Economy
49% of young adults live at home, up 12 points since 2019. An economist says the fallout will reshape marriage, kids, and home-buying
By Catherina GioinoJuly 9, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.