Apple and Immersion announce global licensing deal
Technology companies Apple and Immersion have reached a global licensing deal as part of a settlement agreement that concludes all litigation between the companies.
The agreement was announced by Immersion on Monday, January 29.
Apple and Immersion agreed to dismiss all outstanding litigation on Friday, January 26, according to a filing at the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
Immersion develops touch feedback technology, commonly used in mobile devices and medical equipment with touch screens. Its patent portfolio contains more than 2,600 issued or pending patents, according to the release.
In 2016, Immersion filed two patent infringement lawsuits against Apple at the US District Court for the District of Delaware, seeking injunctive relief and damages. The first suit was filed in February 2016 and the second in May 2016.
Immersion accused Apple of infringing upon US patent numbers 8,619,051; 8,773,356; and 8,659,571, which relate to Immersion’s touch technology.
The first suit centred on the alleged infringing features of iPhones and the Apple Watch, and the second on the same features relating to MacBooks.
Immersion claimed that Apple’s features “Force Touch”, “3D Touch”, and “Digital Touch” used the patented technology.
Immersion also applied for an exclusion order at the US International Trade Commission in February 2017, to prevent the sale of the allegedly infringing devices, and instigated a patent infringement suit in the Beijing High People’s Court in November 2017.
Under the settlement, Immersion has granted Apple a multi-year licence to some of its patents.
Apple will also request the termination of the inter partes reviews of three Immersion patents. It will do the same at China’s State Intellectual Property Office, where it had previously requested the re-examination and invalidation of two of Immersion’s patents.
Immersion has previously filed patent infringement suits against technology companies HTC and Fitbit.
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