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Qualcomm claims that Apple has stolen its wireless technology for several years in order to get rid of the need to rely on Qualcomm components. Apple would have provided Qualcomm's code to Intel, to increase the speed of Intel modems, known to be slower.
The claims come in the latest update of the legal battle of Qualcomm and Apple, which began almost two years ago with Apple claiming that Qualcomm was abusing its position as the dominant provider of smartphone modems to demand unreasonable fees .
But now, Qualcomm is trying to return the suit to Apple's face, and he claims to have good evidence. After entering the discovery phase of the lawsuit, Qualcomm claims to have been able to consult documents showing that Apple and Intel engineers shared Qualcomm's source code and other tools.
"In terms of information and belief, Apple has developed and implemented a complex plan, at least several years ago, to steal much of Qualcomm's confidential information and trade secrets and use that information to improve the performance of non-Qualcomm chipset solutions and, at the same time, the performance of iPhones based on such non-Qualcomm chipset solutions, "states the complaint.
Qualcomm initially made some of these claims last year, but they were much more docile at the time. Qualcomm had just said that Apple had failed to protect its secret code and had it at one point shared with Intel; Qualcomm now claims that this discovery in the case shows that Apple made it knowingly and permanently.
The lawsuit indicates that at one point, Intel engineers even complained to Apple that they were not able to open Qualcomm's secret files that were sent to them. It is said then that Apple engineers have created new files visible to them using Qualcomm's own tools.
Qualcomm states that this practice began "at least several years ago" and continued today. The company believes that Apple has managed to steal its technology and use it to improve the speed of Intel modems.
Apple declined to comment on today's specific allegations. A spokesman instead pointed to Apple's commentary released in June 2017, saying that Qualcomm "taxed Apple's innovation" and hurt the entire industry. "We have always been willing to pay a fair price for the standard technology used in our products and, as they have refused to negotiate reasonable terms, we are asking for help from the courts," the statement said.
Apple had access to Qualcomm's secret code because of an agreement that the two companies would have reached in 2009. Apple wanted access to the Qualcomm code so it could be integrated more deeply into the iPhone, according to the filing. Qualcomm said it agreed, but with certain conditions: that it would only be used in products with Qualcomm chips, could not be shared with third parties and would be robustly protected, in the same way than Apple's code.
According to the lawsuit, Qualcomm also had to be allowed to audit Apple's security practices. Qualcomm claims to have asked Apple to audit last year, not to be shot.
Qualcomm then asked Apple to conduct its own code sharing survey later in the year, following an anonymous publication on a website that collects comments from people who claim to have been fired. . The postage, which claims to come from an Intel employee, indicates that Intel engineers "were asked to ignore the intellectual property rights when designing the modem" and that there was "a plot to copy Qualcomm's technology "with the help of Apple. Apple reportedly refused to investigate.
For the alleged violations of its intellectual property, Qualcomm asks the court to award sums of money as well as punitive damages to punish Apple. She also wants Apple to be forced to stop using Intel modems; it is already calling for such a ban through the US International Trade Commission.
The claims are a dramatic turning point in the ongoing legal battle. Apple, among other companies, was not satisfied with Qualcomm's dominant position in the smartphone market. If a company wants to make a smartphone to scale, especially one with the best wireless speeds, it usually has to go to Qualcomm.
Qualcomm would have used its dominance over modems to charge unusually high fees for the associated patent license. The combination is supposed to be part of the reason why Intel has struggled to break into the smartphone modem game, a sore point, as the company is also struggling with its processors for laptops and desktops.
It would not be surprising to learn that Apple has actively worked to strengthen Intel as a competitor. But if these claims materialize, it would mean that both companies have realized this potentially illegal.
Or, everything could be out of the audience room. As controversial as it may seem, Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf recently said: Bloomberg"The environment is such that an agreement can be reached." This is because companies will finally have to start presenting to jurors and judges. "Traditionally, legal milestones create an environment that allows both sides to change their perspective," he said.
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