{"id":30363,"date":"2025-07-17T14:59:01","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T14:59:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/letsprototype.com\/?p=30363"},"modified":"2025-07-17T15:32:48","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T15:32:48","slug":"spanish-inventor-american-patent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/letsprototype.com\/en\/blog\/2025\/07\/17\/spanish-inventor-american-patent\/","title":{"rendered":"The Spanish inventor who won $110 million from Apple thanks to his American patent."},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Spanish inventor who won $110 million from Apple thanks to his American patent.<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Once again, the United States proves to be fertile ground for the <\/span>protection of intellectual property<\/b>\u2014especially when it comes to <\/span>patents held by Spanish inventors<\/b>. <\/span>American patents<\/b> are particularly valuable due to the legal certainty they provide and their proximity to funding sources that empower inventors to defend their rights with the utmost rigor.<\/span><\/p>

The central figure in this <\/span>patent litigation<\/b> on American soil is the <\/span>Spanish inventor<\/b> \u00c1lvaro L\u00f3pez-Medrano, an electrical engineer who also holds a master\u2019s degree in Aerospace. \u00c1lvaro is the CEO and founder of <\/span>TOT Power Control<\/b>, a company from which several inventions related to power management and 3G\/UMTS networks have been developed.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"patentes\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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What is the patent at the center of the dispute about? \n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The <\/span>invention developed<\/b> by the <\/span>Spanish engineer<\/b> consists of a logic that significantly improves the relationship between the energy consumed by mobile phones during network connections. In very simple terms, the <\/span>logic described in the patent<\/b> allows for improved battery life in mobile phones while also reducing network interference.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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What is the Spanish inventor's lawsuit against Apple about? <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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After a thorough technical investigation into Apple's well-known phones, <\/span>inventor \u00c1lvaro L\u00f3pez Medrano<\/b> discovered that the new logic used in iPhones to optimize energy management during wireless connectivity processes matches the principles of his <\/span>registered invention<\/b>, protected by <\/span>patent US 7,532,865<\/b>. This patent was granted by the USPTO (<\/span>United States Patent and Trademark Office) on May 12, 2009.<\/span><\/p>

Following this discovery by the talented <\/span>Spanish engineer<\/b>, a <\/span>patent infringement lawsuit<\/b> was filed in 2021 against the telecommunications giant, Apple. Recently, it was announced that the Delaware court has ruled in favor of the <\/span>Spanish inventor<\/b>, ordering Apple to pay $110.7 million in damages.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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American patents by Spanish inventors who have successfully defended their rights. \n\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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This is not the first time a <\/span>Spanish inventor<\/b> has successfully defended their rights against major <\/span>tech giants in the United States<\/b>. For example, the <\/span>Catalan inventors behind Fractus<\/b>, creators of <\/span>miniaturized fractal antenna technology<\/b>, reached a settlement that is estimated to have brought them over $100 million, following intense <\/span>patent enforcement proceedings in Texas<\/b>, United States.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Why have these Spanish inventors protected their inventions with American patents? \n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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At <\/span>Let\u2019s Prototype<\/b><\/a>, we have seen firsthand how most <\/span>Spanish inventors<\/b><\/a> for whom we develop inventions and manufacture prototypes choose to <\/span>patent their inventions in the United States<\/b><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>

Clear success stories like those achieved by <\/span>the company Fractus<\/b> or the recent victory of <\/span>Spanish inventor \u00c1lvaro L\u00f3pez-Medrano<\/b> demonstrate:<\/span><\/p>

Legal certainty:<\/b> The cases of Fractus and \u00c1lvaro demonstrate that <\/span>patent enforcement in the United States<\/b> works, regardless of the size or power of the opposing companies.<\/span><\/p>

Access to funding:<\/b> We often emphasize that <\/span>obtaining a patent<\/b> is not as complex as defending it. A <\/span>patent dispute in the United States<\/b> is extremely expensive. This is one of the main barriers preventing inventors from successfully defending their patents. For this reason, within the <\/span>inventor ecosystem in the United States<\/b>, there is a growing presence of investment funds specialized in supporting companies that are about to launch <\/span>patent enforcement proceedings<\/b>. In Europe, by contrast, such investment funds are almost nonexistent.<\/span><\/p>

Patent timelines:<\/b> The response speed of the <\/span>United States Patent and Trademark Office is very efficient. In just 3 months, inventors can have clarity regarding the outcome of the <\/span>examination of their patents<\/b>, and within 6 months, they could potentially <\/span>obtain a granted invention patent<\/b> with 20 years of exclusive protection.<\/span><\/p>

Patent costs:<\/b> The <\/span>patent process in the United States<\/b> is often seen by many <\/span>Spanish inventors<\/b> as something out of reach. However, any <\/span>Spanish inventor<\/b> who believes their invention is truly competitive and useful can apply for a patent in the U.S. Contrary to what many Spanish inventors think, <\/span>the cost of a U.S. patent<\/b> is very similar to the <\/span>fees for patents in Europe<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>

Patent profitability:<\/b> The goal of <\/span>inventors who protect their inventions<\/b> is, without a doubt, to <\/span>profit from their patents<\/b>\u2014a completely legitimate and obvious aim. In the U.S., for fees similar to the <\/span>cost of patents in Europe<\/b>, inventors gain access to a much larger, more consumption-driven population and a <\/span>technological business ecosystem<\/b> that far exceeds the <\/span>European corporate landscape<\/b>. Therefore, it is a far more favorable environment for: <\/span>selling a patent<\/b>, <\/span>licensing a patent<\/b>, or <\/span>defending an infringed patent<\/b>, as demonstrated by these examples of <\/span>American patents held by Spanish inventors<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>

As you know, <\/span>Let\u2019s Prototype<\/b> is not a <\/span>U.S. patent law firm<\/b>. We are a <\/span>product development lab based in the United States and Spain<\/b>. However, we work daily with U.S. patent firms that provide services to our clients\u2014most of whom are Spanish inventors seeking to protect their inventions in the U.S.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The time to bring your ideas to life is now. We accompany you throughout the entire process: from idea to product.<\/b><\/p>

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