Apple Offers to Pay Motorola $1 Per iPhone

By Barbara E. Hernandez

| Friday, Nov 2, 2012 | Updated 9:59 AM PDT

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Apple Offers to Pay Motorola $1 Per iPhone

A customer tries on her new iPhone 5 at the Apple store in Hong Kong Friday, Sept. 21, 2012. Apple's Asian fans jammed the tech juggernaut's shops in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore to pick up the latest version of its iPhone. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

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With only a week ahead of an upcoming contract trial, Apple said it would pay Motorola $1 per unit for any of Apple's units using Motorola wireless patents.

The news of the offer came from FOSS Patents which reported that Apple lawyers made the declaration, according to court documents:

Apple’s actions in both licensing and litigation have matched its words in public. Because of that, Apple is willing to pay the FRAND [(fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory)] rate this Court sets going forward if that rate is less than or equal to $1 per unit for its worldwide sales of covered products.

Apple's position appears to be strong now because Motorola's expert witness can't testify, according to Gizmodo. So, the trial may not go Motorola's way without vital testimony. Motorola may just have to take the settlement because it may not be getting any more. That's lucky for Apple, but no so lucky for Motorola.