Apple offers royalty-free nano SIM patent license if approved by the ETSI

Close to a week ago, we reported that according to reports, Apple was reportedly trying to push for their own nano SIM standard, a move that did not sit well with other manufacturers such as Nokia, Motorola and RIM. Nokia has since come forward claiming that Apple’s design for the nano SIM was flawed, although we’re guessing the deeper underlying problem here would be if they were to go with Apple’s nano SIM standard, it would basically give Apple the power to license out the patent to the competition, a scenario in a world filled with patent battles is probably one the other manufacturers are hoping to avoid.

However according to a document reportedly sent by Apple to the other members of the ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute), it seems that Apple is attempting to assure them that if they were to go along with Apple’s plans for a nano SIM, Apple would license all necessary Apple patents to them without asking for royalties, but in return any patents essential to nano SIMs held by other companies would have to be licensed in kind. The ETSI is expected to meet some time later this week to discuss this issue, and if all goes according to Apple’s plan, we could be saying goodbye to the micro SIM standard very soon. More information can be found at Florian Mueller’s website.