While the $31 million damages payment might be a drop in the ocean for Apple which at one point of time was valued over $1 trillion. The win, however, would boost Qualcomm’s chances of winning a bigger battle that will be waged over royalty disputes between the two companies.
Highlights:
- In a trial in San Diego, the jury found Apple has violated three Qualcomm patents.
- The jury asked Apple to pay $31 million in damages
- The win will give Qualcomm the momentum for the bigger dispute over royalty payments against Apple.
The patent tussle between Qualcomm and Apple has been going on for some time now. But on Friday, during a trial in San Diego, the jury declared Apple had violated three Qualcomm patents according to CNET and the jury agreed Apple should pay $31 million in damages. The suit that was filed in July 2017 is one of the many legal battles Qualcomm is waging against Apple across the world. While this can be considered as a small victory for Qualcomm, this will give the company the momentum to carry on for the largest trial that’s set to start from next month.
The jury found that Apple had indeed infringed on three patents from Qualcomm —
1. Technology that allows a smartphone to quickly connect to the internet once the device is turned on.
2. Technology related to graphics processing and battery life.
3. Technology that shifts traffic between the processor and modem, allowing for faster downloads.
According to the jury, Apple used all the three patents from Qualcomm without getting permission from the San-Diego based chipset maker. Apple did try to argue that one of its employees co-developed the first patent and therefore the Cupertino giant should be a co-owner of the technology. The jury did not agree.
While the $31 million damages payment might be a drop in the ocean for Apple which at one point of time was valued over $1 trillion. The win, however, would boost Qualcomm’s chances of winning a bigger battle that will be waged over royalty disputes between the two companies.
The trial, due to start next month, will also be held in San Diego, California. Qualcomm intends to argue that Apple didn’t pay the royalties it should have while Apple will bank on the apparent fact that Qualcomm overreaches when it comes to using its patents.
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