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The last chapter of the ongoing legal battle between Apple and Qualcomm could mean a ban on US imports on some iPhone models. A US Commerce Judge found Apple guilty of violating two Qualcomm patents related to power management and data download speeds. Judge MaryJoan McNamara, Judge at the International Trade Commission, said that some iPhone models containing competing Intel modems may not be shipped from China to the United States, where they are manufactured.
The judgment is still pending review by the ITC. Qualcomm is expecting a new decision in a second case brought to ITC later in the day, which should not include a ban on importing iPhones. Be that as it may, this decision is another blow to Apple, which earlier this month had violated three separate Qualcomm patents in one of the many legal skirmishes between the two companies.
Qualcomm has received a paltry $ 31 million following this verdict, but the San Diego-based chip maker has consistently filed a lawsuit and reaped small victories in anticipation of a bigger, more definitive lawsuit next month. . That's when the two companies will argue for the fundamental argument that has created the biggest legal quagmire in the tech industry since Apple's battle with Samsung. This argument concerns Qualcomm's alleged anti-competitive licensing strategies and patent fees Apple owes Apple for challenging the terms of their long-standing relationship.
Apple and Qualcomm are engaged in a patent and license war that has changed the industry, following a $ 1 billion lawsuit filed by Apple over two years ago . The initial complaint resulted in a series of separate lawsuits for patent infringement and counter-prosecution aimed at pushing the legal battle across borders, allowing Qualcomm to successfully ban the old models of iPhone in China. and in Germany.
All of this has resulted in a complete breakdown of relations between Apple and Qualcomm. Both companies had previously entered into an exclusive license agreement for the iPhone, allowing it to use modems manufactured by Qualcomm, essential to bringing mobile devices online. In recent years, Apple has brought Intel to the rank of modems provider. It appears that this decision had cascading effects that led to today's complex network of lawsuits. Qualcomm also said that Apple had actually stolen its technology and handed it to Intel, thus violating its patents.
As a result of the quarrel, Apple has turned to Intel as the exclusive provider of mobile modems for its range of iPhone. Apple claims that Qualcomm has refused to sell him the necessary parts to its iPhone XS and XR ranges. According to the latest job offers, the company might even consider building its own modem. Meanwhile, Qualcomm is still waiting for a final ruling in a lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission over the same alleged anti-competitive practices that, according to Apple, have resulted in all this mess.
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