“The Wall Street Journal” reports (http://macte.ch/uQAqi) that Apple has asked European Telecommunications Standards Institute, a telecommunications standards body, to set basic principles governing how member companies license their patents.
In a letter to the Institute, Apple said the telecommunications industry lacks consistent licensing schemes for the many patents necessary to make mobile devices, and offered suggestions for setting appropriate royalty rates that all members would follow. “The Times” notes that many mobile technology companies, such as Motorola and Samsung, hold patents that became part of industrywide standards. Apple is involved in ongoing legal battles with both companies over claims of patent infringement.
