(Telecompaper) Ericsson has filed lawsuits against Apple in Germany, the UK and the Netherlands for alleged patent violations, after failing to reach a licensing deal with Apple. Ericsson said it offered to enter into arbitration with Apple to reach a global licensing agreement for its standard-essential patents, but that offer has now expired. The proceedings in the three countries cover technology for 2G and 4G/LTE standards, as well as other technology that is not standardized, but is related to, for instance, the design of semiconductor components and non-cellular wireless communications. Ericsson has been trying for over two years to reach an agreement with Apple on a global licence for its patents on terms that are fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND), but the companies have failed to reach an amicable resolution. Under the FRAND commitment, essential patent owners like Ericsson are compensated proportionally in relation to their contribution to the standardized technology. In February, Ericsson started a similar suit against Apple at the US International Trade Commission and a court in the US, alleging that Apple's iPhones and iPads infringe 41 patents held by Ericsson.