The Cupertino-based company is willing to strike a deal at this rate

Nov 1, 2012 09:05 GMT  ·  By

Motorola is one of the companies holding a great deal of patents for wireless technology, which provides it with the high ground when engaging into battles with other smartphone makers out there.

Apple is one of the vendors that entered such a dispute with Motorola, and the Cupertino-based giant appears to be on the verge of surrendering.

To be more precise, Apple has reportedly announced that it is willing to pay Motorola up to $1 per device for the use of the company’s wireless technology inside its mobile devices.

The deal would involve a series of its standard-essential wireless patents involving both cellular and Wi-Fi technology that can be found at the moment inside Apple’s iPhones, iPads, iPods and other devices.

The main issue here might be the small amount that the iPhone’s maker is willing to pay for these patents, which could result in a long-term battle between the two, should Motorola refuse to accept.

“Apple has however been an outspoken leader in the industry on FRAND and has repeatedly urged that a rational and consistent framework for determining FRAND rates for wireless standards-essential portfolios must be set,” Apple's filing to court in the Western District of Wisconsin reads according to fosspatents.

“Apple's actions in both licensing and litigation have matched its words in public. Because of that, Apple is willing to pay the FRAND rate this Court sets going forward if that rate is less than or equal to $1 per unit for its worldwide sales of covered products.”

Apple also says that it is open for discussion regarding the use of Motorola’s patents inside its devices in the past, as long as the court sets the fee to be paid moving forward at an acceptable rate.

The Cupertino-based company suggests that the two parties should come to an agreement following the long two years they have been fighting on the matter in court, but also that it is willing to continue the battle, should the up-to-$1 per unit fee won’t be accepted.

Motorola cannot offer evidence at this trial that the rate should be higher than $1 per phone, but to the extent the Court sets the rate higher than $1 per unit, Apple reserves the right to exhaust all appeals and needs also to reserve the right available to any party offered a license: the right to refuse and proceed to further infringement litigation,” Apple said.

Google, the company that bought Motorola for $12.5 billion (around €9.64 billion) last year, is certainly looking to get more money from Apple for said wireless patents, yet it remains to be seen how things will evolve.