Apple's potential damages in a patent fight with the University of Wisconsin's licensing body could reach $400 million as a trial on the amount Apple owes for infringing a processor patent got underway on Wednesday, two people familiar with the case said.
The figure is less than half the amount that US District Judge William Conley cited last month as the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation's maximum claim for damages, Reuters reports.
In a pre-trial ruling on Sept. 29, Conley refused a request by Apple to limit damages in the case.
He said WARF's maximum claim was $862.4 million, citing Apple's own figures.
On Tuesday, a federal jury in Madison, Wisconsin said Apple violated a patent owned by WARF, which helps improve chip efficiency. The jury also said that the patent was valid.
WARF sued Apple in January 2014 alleging infringement of its 1998 patent for improving processor efficiency. The jury was considering whether Apple's A7, A8 and A8X processors, found in the iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus, as well as several versions of the iPad, violate the patent.
Cupertino, California-based Apple denied any infringement and argued the patent is invalid, according to court papers.
