Apple Doesn’t Pay Its
Vendors Fairly
If you’re a vendor or an app developer who has been mistreated by Apple, tell us your story.
Apple Owes Optis More than $700 Million,
According to UK Court
On May 1, 2025, the England and Wales Court of Appeal delivered its judgment in Optis Cellular Technology LLC and others -v- Apple Retail UK Ltd and others. The judgment held that Apple must pay $502 million plus fees and interest—which amounts to a total sum of more than $700 million today, as interest continues to accrue— for the fair use of Optis standard essential 4G patents in Apple devices.
In response, Optis issued the following statement:
“We’re pleased the UK Court of Appeals has recognized and corrected a clearly flawed prior ruling and has made meaningful progress toward affirming the true value of our patents to Apple devices. In addition to ordering payment that exceeds $700 million with interest and fees, the Court has judged that ‘Apple’s significant negotiating strength leads some parties to agree lower rates than would be agreed between a willing licensor/willing licensee’ thereby gaining an unfair advantage.
Apple’s narrative about Optis licensing practices is tired, dated, and simply inaccurate. Optis (or ‘PanOptis’) was formed in 2013 by some of the world’s leading R&D contributors, a consortium of true innovators who have played a pivotal role in developing the technologies that power modern mobile and wireless communication. Many innovators lack the individual resources to stand up to tech giants seeking to undercompensate them, and Optis has helped ensure R&D contributions are recognized and fairly compensated.
This isn’t just about one company or set of patents. It’s about ensuring true innovation is respected, not exploited. Our goal has always been to support those who build the foundation of our technological future. This judgment affirms that fair licensing of standard essential patents is vital—not only for today’s inventors but for the health of future innovation ecosystems. It reinforces a global standard that is equitable, transparent, and can sustain meaningful R&D into the future.”
Despite Apple having painted itself as one of the most innovative and creative companies in the world, it has a history of undermining inventors and innovators.
Apple is a market bully, using the courts and a parasitic tech ecosystem to undermine and underpay small innovators.
Peel back the onion, and another picture emerges – one of a market giant seeking to devalue others’ innovations at the expense of smaller inventors and broader society. In reality, Apple has pioneered a vast parasitic tech ecosystem, using inventions of various public, private and small companies while seeking to avoid fairly compensating them, and undermining society’s innovators.
Accountability.
Apple must be held accountable for devaluing the very technology that makes its products valuable.
Unfair Negotiations.
Typical of its unfair practices, and as detailed in its own devised scheme, Apple forces innovators who developed cellular connectivity, such as LTE, to bring costly lawsuits against them instead of agreeing to a fair license.
High-speed cellular technology is the backbone that powers smartphones lightning-fast internet connection. For Apple’s iPhones, high-speed cellular means staying connected with speed and reliability.
Cellular technology is worth trillions in iPhone sales to Apple, yet they adopted a strategy to devalue what is owed to compensate innovators for the development and use of this technology.
