Wireless charging is one of the popular features of modern smartphones. However, the largest smartphone manufacturer, South Korean company Samsung, may soon abandon the use of this technology in its devices. This is due to the loss in a protracted court case regarding the violation of several patents of the company Mojo Mobility.
Image source: Samsung
In 2022, Mojo Mobility sued Samsung, accusing the electronics maker of infringing five patents related to wireless charging technology used in most smartphones sold from 2016 to the present. Last year, Samsung tried to have those patents declared invalid. However, on September 13, a court found the South Korean company guilty of patent infringement and damages in the amount of $192,136,029.
In simple terms, the legal conclusion is that Samsung stole Mojo Mobility’s designs and used them in its smartphones, smartwatches, headphones, and other devices. If Samsung decides not to pay the fine, it will likely have to remove wireless charging from future products or develop new wireless charging methods that do not infringe on Mojo Mobility’s patents. It is also possible that Samsung will be forced to disable wireless charging in existing devices, but that is unlikely.
Samsung will almost certainly appeal the court’s decision and try to challenge it. In fact, this is not the first time the South Korean company has found itself in a similar situation, and specifically in the Eastern District of Texas, where Mojo Mobility’s complaint was heard. According to recent estimates, patent trolls in the United States file lawsuits against Samsung on average every five days. To defend against these accusations, Samsung has to employ an army of lawyers, as well as patent any of its own technologies in accordance with all the rules.
If Samsung’s legal team can’t resolve the matter in court, it’s likely that Samsung will simply have to pay a fine or settle with Mojo Mobility. Either way, a full resolution to the wireless charging patent dispute is likely a long way off.
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