IPCom, a patent-holding company based in Germany, today accused Apple of violating one of its patents.
The patent, which IPCom bought in 2007, pertains to how cellular calls to emergency services are prioritized on mobile networks. IPCom filed its claim in Germany and is seeking $2 billion from Apple to use the patent. According to the Wall Street Journal, the patent is a “mandatory element of the UMTS and LTE cellphone standards.” Patents deemed standard essential must be licensed at fair and reasonable rates.
The Journal did not say if IPCom attempted to reach such an agreement with Apple prior to filing its lawsuit.
