The two companies are involved in a long legal feud

Feb 27, 2015 12:42 GMT  ·  By

Apple and Ericsson have been involved in legal litigation for quite some time. Back in January, Apple filed a lawsuit against the telecom gear maker over royalty disputes involving LTE (4G) wireless technology licensed by the latter per-device-sold.

The Cupertino tech giant has been paying to use patented technologies that are necessary for 2G and 4G/LTE telecom standards, but felt the fees are too high.

Their deal with the Stockholm-based mobile solution provider expired in mid-January, but afterwards the two giants failed to come to an agreement, which resulted in several lawsuits.

Apple, for its part, has been seeking court rulings on weather Ericsson’s financial demands are fair.

Ericsson wants to prevent Apple from selling its products in the US

Now a month later, the legal battle has escalated to new heights. Ericsson just filed nine complaints against Apple, but it didn't stop there. The mobile manufacturer also made a pledge with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) to block Apple products including the iPhone and iPad from being sold on the US market.

Ericsson is claiming that Apple is currently using their technology without license and therefore the company is seeking the help of the court and the ITC.

The Swedish company also mentions trying to bring in an arbitrator to mediate the situation and determine what’s to be called a fair rate, but again Cupertino didn't want to play by these rules.

Ericsson goes on to say that Apple has been offered a license but the Cupertino giant declined.

By asking the International Trade Commission in Washington to be part of the litigation, Ericsson is most likely seeking to put pressure on Apple and the outcome might be quite disastrous if the commission rules in favor of the Swedish patent holder.

The trade commission is in charge of protecting the US market from unfair trade practices and is known to provide faster rulings than district courts. It can also block products from the market.

Ericsson holds over 35,000 patents worldwide and is currently involved in around 100 patents sharing agreements with key tech manufacturers from around the globe.