Apple must pay $500 million

SAN FRANCISCO: A Texas court has ordered Apple to pay more than $500 million in damages and interest for 4G patent infringements held by intellectual property company PanOptis. The US tech giant -- now worth almost $2 trillion -- vowed to appeal Tuesday’s decision. “We thank the jury for their time but are disappointed with the verdict and plan to appeal,” Apple said in an email response to an AFP inquiry. “Lawsuits like this by companies who accumulate patents simply to harass the industry only serve to stifle innovation and harm consumers.”