A recent court hearing in Colombia has resulted in the ban on all Apple 5G devices. The reason behind this ban is the infringement on Ericsson 5G patents by Apple. The patent was awarded to Ericsson in 2019 and runs till 2037, and it entails 5G standards in the country.
For reasons yet unspecified, Apple infringed on the subsisting Ericsson patent applicable in Colombia thus eliciting legal action from the country. This legal action constitutes the ban of all Apple 5G devices. The ban also affects the importation, selling, advertising, or commercialization of any Apple product that supports 5G connectivity.
Apple is not taking the fall alone in this battle, all dealers that trade Apple 5G products are to stop such activities as well. Typically, Apple would be expected to counter-sue or appeal to earn itself some breathing space. But, this ban is so effective that it prevents Apple from countersuing or appealing the judgement. The only thing Apple can do here is to file for compensation from Ericsson for damages incurred by the ban.
This is not the first time Apple is infringing on the patents of other tech companies. In 2018, all iPhone models from the 6 series to the X series were banned in China. This was due to Apple’s infringement on mobile chipmaker Qualcomm’s patents.
The fresh ban from Colombia on all Apple 5G devices will also affect the coming iPhone 14 series. In fact, any Apple product that uses a 5G processor can’t sell in Colombia for the time being.
While Apple’s market share in the country is just 9.81%, and this ban may not mean much, it will have an impact on Apple. Whatever the tech company earns from Colombia is coming to a halt with the shift towards 5G processors.
