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posted by martyb on Saturday January 21 2017, @09:03PM   Printer-friendly
from the what-we-have-here-is-a-failure-to-communicate dept.

Following the Federal Trade Commission's lawsuit against Qualcomm, Apple has also sued the company, seeking $1 billion in damages:

Apple is suing Qualcomm for roughly $1 billion, saying Qualcomm has been "charging royalties for technologies they have nothing to do with." The suit follows the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's lawsuit against Qualcomm earlier this week over unfair patent licensing practices. [...] Apple says that Qualcomm has taken "radical steps," including "withholding nearly $1 billion in payments from Apple as retaliation for responding truthfully to law enforcement agencies investigating them." Apple added, "Despite being just one of over a dozen companies who contributed to basic cellular standards, Qualcomm insists on charging Apple at least five times more in payments than all the other cellular patent licensors we have agreements with combined."

Also at Reuters, The Verge , and Ars Technica .


Original Submission

Related Stories

U.S. Federal Trade Commission Sues Qualcomm for Anti-Competitive Practices 7 comments

The U.S. FTC is going after Qualcomm:

The Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint in federal district court charging Qualcomm Inc. with using anticompetitive tactics to maintain its monopoly in the supply of a key semiconductor device used in cell phones and other consumer products. Qualcomm is the world's dominant supplier of baseband processors – devices that manage cellular communications in mobile products. The FTC alleges that Qualcomm has used its dominant position as a supplier of certain baseband processors to impose onerous and anticompetitive supply and licensing terms on cell phone manufacturers and to weaken competitors.

[...] According to the complaint, by threatening to disrupt cell phone manufacturers' supply of baseband processors, Qualcomm obtains elevated royalties and other license terms for its standard-essential patents that manufacturers would otherwise reject. These royalties amount to a tax on the manufacturers' use of baseband processors manufactured by Qualcomm's competitors, a tax that excludes these competitors and harms competition. Increased costs imposed by this tax are passed on to consumers, the complaint alleges. By excluding competitors, Qualcomm impedes innovation that would offer significant consumer benefits, including those that foster the increased interconnectivity of consumer products, vehicles, buildings, and other items commonly referred to as the Internet of Things.

Get in line:

EU Investigates Qualcomm For Antitrust Activities
Qualcomm Faces EU Antitrust Charges Over "Predatory Pricing"
Qualcomm Fined $853 Million by South Korea for Antitrust Violations

Also at Bloomberg and The Verge.


Original Submission

Qualcomm Accuses Apple of Passing its Trade Secrets on to Intel 6 comments

Qualcomm accuses Apple of stealing its secrets to help Intel

Qualcomm Inc on Tuesday accused Apple Inc of stealing its chip-making secrets and giving them to rival Intel Corp, paving the way for Apple to switch to Intel's improved semiconductors, which may have cost Qualcomm billions of dollars in lost sales.

The accusation, made in a legal filing on Tuesday, is the latest salvo in a drawn-out patent dispute between the two tech heavyweights.

Qualcomm accused Apple of misusing secret Qualcomm software to share information about its chips with Intel engineers in a November lawsuit, but went further on Tuesday by saying Apple stole Qualcomm trade secrets as part of a "multi-year campaign of sloppy, inappropriate and deceitful conduct" designed to improve rivals' chipsets and ultimately divert Qualcomm's Apple-based business to Intel.

[...] The world's most valuable technology company previously used Qualcomm's modem chips in its iPhone, which helped the device connect to wireless data networks. With the iPhone 7, launched in 2016, Apple began using Intel modem chips in some models instead.

Also at CNBC.

Previously: Apple Sues Qualcomm for $1 Billion over Patent Royalties and "Retaliation"
Apple vs. Qualcomm Escalates, Manufacturers Join in, Lawsuits Filed in California and Germany
Apple Could Switch From Qualcomm to Intel and MediaTek for Modems
Qualcomm Files New Lawsuit Against Apple, Alleging it Shared Confidential Information with Intel


Original Submission

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 21 2017, @09:50PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 21 2017, @09:50PM (#457106)

    After the government's SJW lawsuit, the lawyers at Apple simply saw an opportunity to jump on a weakened frenemy.

    For one thing, it's quite rich that Apple could complain about being charged too much for commodity hardware. For another, guess what? If that's the price at which Qualcomm is licensing its property, then that's the goddamn price. If you don't like someone's prices or tactics, then associate with someone else.

    • (Score: 4, Informative) by sjames on Saturday January 21 2017, @10:01PM

      by sjames (2882) on Saturday January 21 2017, @10:01PM (#457113) Journal

      Because Qualcomm's patents were included in the standard, it is literally impossible to make a compatible cellphone without them. In return, Qualcomm agreed to licence it's patents under FRAND terms. They have violated that agreement. That's why they're in trouble. Nobody held a gun to their heads. They were free to not agree and not have their patents incorporated in the standard.

  • (Score: 2) by BK on Saturday January 21 2017, @10:08PM

    by BK (4868) on Saturday January 21 2017, @10:08PM (#457114)

    As with so many of these corporate lawsuits, it would be nice if there was some way that both sides could lose.

    --
    ...but you HAVE heard of me.
  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Dr Spin on Sunday January 22 2017, @09:18AM

    by Dr Spin (5239) on Sunday January 22 2017, @09:18AM (#457294)

    Its the data packets with rounded corners that are at the centre of this!

    Seriously, surely if a proprietary technology is to be included in a standard, then the STANDARDS BODY should license it on behalf of the world,
    or at least set the license fees as part of the standard.

    --
    Warning: Opening your mouth may invalidate your brain!