CSIRO to gain a billion from WiFi patent

The CSIRO is set to gain $1 billion from the science organisation's WiFi patent after it has already netted $250 million from some of the world's largest IT companies.

The group has spent the last 14 years dueling with Dell, HP, Microsoft, Intel, Nintendo and other tech companies for royalties on its WiFi patent. A settlement was struck for $250 million.

But in a new case, the CSIRO is taking on major telcos Verizon Wireless, AT&T and T-mobile, along with Lenovo, Sony and Acer.

"CSIRO is poised to hit a home run... any company using WiFi technology has no choice but to pay up," intellectual property lawyer Trevor Choy told The Age.

"The widespread usage of the technology means that a few cents per customer / data volume usage could easily add up to a lazy billion or more. The fact that the court case is happening in the US is also good because US courts don't shy away from awarding big damages figures."

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