Apple and Qualcomm patent dispute led to a halt in sales of iPhone 7 and 8 in Germany

    Qualcomm and Apple continue to litigate. The fight goes with varying success, and now, it seems, the favor of the court is on the side of Qualcomm. On December 20 last year, the district court of Munich, Germany, recognized that the iPhone 7, 8 and iPhone X smartphones violate Qualcomm's patent rights.

    At the same time, the court decided that the sale of these devices should be banned throughout Germany. But to meet this requirement, it was necessary for Qualcomm to make a security payment. And now the company has done this by placing security bonds worth 1.34 billion euros.

    As for the patented technology, which is discussed in the litigation, this is a way to save energy, which is used by Apple. Now Apple has to not only stop online sales, but also withdraw smartphones already placed with retailers.

    Previously, both companies worked closely, Apple installed Qualcomm chips in many of its phones. But last year, the Apple Corporation began litigation with an ex-partner in the United States and China. Apple accuses Qualcomm of violating technology licensing terms.

    Qualcomm manages to defendtheir own interests. So, the company was able to achieve a ban on the sale of some iPhone models in China. True, after this, Apple released an update, which, according to the corporation, eliminates the violation, which was stated by the former partner. Nevertheless, in this country, Qualcomm is trying to stop not only sales, but also the production of Apple phones listed in the title models. And this is a much more sensitive blow to the business of the company from Cupertino.

    It is worth noting that so far the Apple business in the Celestial Empire has not undergone any changes. Smartphones of all models are sold in the same way as they were sold before. Qualcomm on this occasion shows discontent, saying that Apple is obliged to immediately stop not only sales, but also the sales offer and even the import of those devices that were mentioned in the court decision. In addition, the court must provide proof of their actions. “Apple is trying to level the significance of the court decision, as well as to find workarounds that will allow the corporation to avoid what is required by law. For us, it is obvious that Apple is disrespectful to the judicial system, completely ignoring the decision of the court, "- said in a statement Qualcomm.

    Dan Rosenberg, a lawyer at Qualcomm, argues that the court documents say nothing about the specific software of smartphones, they mention models without specifying the software platform. That is why no update can provide an opportunity for Apple to somehow circumvent the ruling.

    Qualcomm believes that Apple uses a number of partner technologies and does not pay for it. Apple representatives said that both companies had worked together for several years, and no complaints from Qualcomm had ever been received. Qualcomm states the following: "They want to pay less for what is the basis of the technology market created by our company, and Apple gets billions of dollars using this technology."

    Now Apple has begun cooperation with other chip makers, including Intel. After that, Qualcomm filed a lawsuit against Apple, saying that the corporation provided Intel with proprietary technologies that are proprietary. This technology is used in the development of modern chips Qualcomm.

    Apple, in turn, sued Qualcomm in the United States, assessing violations by its former partner in a whole billion dollars. Just a few days after that, Apple filed a new lawsuit, already in China, with a "price tag" of 145 million. The corporation accuses the chip manufacturer of non-compliance with the terms of the contract. In particular, the lawsuit refers to the “terrible” technology licensing conditions of the company, which led to Apple’s problems with fulfilling its own obligations.

    The lawsuit documents also state that Qualcomm requires Apple to pay a percentage of the sale of phones in exchange for the right to use partner patents. In addition, Qualcomm demanded that the corporation use only its chips in smartphones from 2011 to 2016.

    “We are disappointed with Qualcomm's work methods, in particular, with the way the company realizes its partnership with us. Now we have no choice but to go to court, ”says the appeal of Apple. At the same time, Qualcomm believes the company's accusations are groundless. "Despite the fact that we are in the process of reviewing the claim of Apple, it is already clear that the company's accusations are groundless," - said representatives of Qualcomm.

    Also popular now: