Ericsson has secured an iPhone and iPad Pro sales ban in Colombia over 5G patent infringements.

According toFoss Patents, this comes "[l]ess than six months after the current wave of Ericsson v. Apple patent infringement actions started."

The backstory here is somewhat complicated but can be boiled down to the following points:

1. Apple used to pay Ericsson royalty fees for patented 5G technologies.
2. Apple failed to renew the licenses when they expired.
3. Ericsson sued Apple.
4. Apple then sued Ericsson, claiming that the company was violating FRAND rules, the patents were standard-essential patents, and Ericsson's licensing fees were too high.

Apple

• Unlock the best new features in iPhone 15, iOS 17, and Apple Watch with these tips
• iOS 17: The most impactful new iPhone features are also the ones you'll notice the least
• New iPhone 15 models compared: iPhone 15 vs. Plus vs. Pro vs. Pro Max
• One subtle (but important) reason to buy the iPhone 15 Pro instead of the iPhone 14 Pro

There followed a whole bunch of legal actions and counteractions, with both companies attempting to get sales bans on the other company's hardware. 

And now this has culminated in a sales ban.

In Colombia.

An interesting side note is that there are no 5G networks currently in operation in Colombia, and a legal way around the ban would be for Apple to sell 4G handsets in that country.

This ban is likely no big deal for Apple given the small size of that market. The problem is several more lawsuits are making their way through various courts in various territories.

And since Apple isn't disputing the validity of the patents, it's almost certainly opening itself out to bans being enforced in other countries.

A ban in the US or Europe could be very serious indeed for Apple.

But Apple, predictably, isn't taking this lying down, and is, amongst other things, suing Ericsson over a 4G patent which it claims is a standards-essential patent.

It's clear here that Apple is playing a game. A serious game, but a game nonetheless. The company is trying to lighten its patent licensing costs and is going after patents that Ericsson holds. 

Innovation

I tried Apple Vision Pro and it's far ahead of where I expectedThis tiny satellite communicator is packed full of features and peace of mindHow to use ChatGPT: Everything you need to knowThese are my 5 favorite AI tools for work

• I tried Apple Vision Pro and it's far ahead of where I expected
• This tiny satellite communicator is packed full of features and peace of mind
• How to use ChatGPT: Everything you need to know
• These are my 5 favorite AI tools for work