Business / Indian Engineers Take A Bite Out Of Apple Inc.!

Indian Engineers Take A Bite Out Of Apple Inc.!

Business Oct 16, 2015

by Dilshad Burman

As Apple recently launched its next-generation iPhones and iPads in India, an interesting connection to the sub-continent has come to light — and unfortunately for the tech giant, it’s going to be an expensive one.

A U.S. court has ruled that Apple used patented technology without permission that was originally developed by a four-person team at the University of Wisconsin. The project was led by engineer Dr. Gurindar Sohi and included engineer Terani Vijaykumar, both graduates of the reputed Birla Institute of Technology and Science in India.

They developed a "Table-based Data Speculation Circuit for Parallel Processing Computer," which, put simply, makes a device’s processor more efficient and enhances performance. The technology was patented by the licensing wing of the University of Wisconsin — the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) — as far back as 1998.

Apple eventually used the technology to elevate the functionality of the new iPhones and iPads on the market today, including the iPhone 5S, the new iPhone 6 and 6s, and multiple versions of the iPad, including the upcoming iPad Pro.

^{Photo Credit: Apple.com}

WARF previously filed a suit against Intel in 2008 for a similar infringement and brought a complaint against Apple Inc. in early 2014. The Intel suit settled out of court, with no details of the settlement amount made available to the public. The lawsuit against Apple is claiming $862.4 million in damages, but the jury is still out on the actual sum that will be awarded to the foundation or the team members on the original project.

^{Apple Inc. used patented technology without permission in its new A9 processor chips as well as previous versions.}
^{Photo Credit: Apple.com}

The court dismissed Apple’s claims that the patents were invalid, and the company was found guilty of infringing on no less than six patents held by WARF. All that’s left now is to find out how much of a dent the careless transgression is going to make in the tech giant’s wallet.

Meanwhile, Sohi and Vijaykumar continue their successful careers as professors at The University of Wisconsin and Purdue University respectively, possibly awaiting a massive payday!

^{Article Sources: Times Of India, Indiatimes, Appleinsider.com

Main Image Photo Credits: University of Wisconsin, Purdue University}

Dilshad Burman

Author

Dilshad Burman is an award winning TV host and Canadian media personality. Born in Mumbai, India, she was surrounded by its creative energy and grew up with a passion for music, film and television. While completing her Bachelor of Arts in English literature from The University of Mumbai, she i...

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Indian Engineers Take A Bite Out Of Apple Inc.!

by Dilshad Burman

As Apple recently launched its next-generation iPhones and iPads in India, an interesting connection to the sub-continent has come to light — and unfortunately for the tech giant, it’s going to be an expensive one.

Dilshad Burman

COMMENTS

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