Qualcomm previously stated that a court in Fuzhou City has found that it has violated two of the chip company’s patents. Thereupon the sales of the models iPhone 6S, 7, 8 and their larger versions as well as of the iPhone X published in the past year were forbidden. That would be the first major success for Qualcomm in the more than a year ongoing conflict.
Apple responded immediately, however, that the iPhone remains available in all variants in the country. It is only about the more than a year old iPhone operating system iOS 11 – the current version is iOS 12. This would run the ban on sales in vain.
China dispute over touch screen technologies
The dispute began a year ago, when Apple sued Qualcomm with the allegation that the chip company demands too high fees for the use of its patents . Apple argues that because the chip company does not want a fixed price, but a share of the selling price of the devices, he tries to profit unjustifiably from Apple’s own innovations . Qualcomm has since received no more money from the iPhone contract manufacturers and has accused Apple of infringement of various patents.
According to Qualcomm, the patents that are now in China are technologies that can be used to adjust the size of photos and the handling of apps on the touchscreen. The selection is a special affront to Apple – because the company had the touchscreen operation of the iPhone itself patented extensively. „We will exhaust all our legal options in the courts,“ Apple said.
Most recently, Qualcomm accused Apple of sharing Qualcomm’s confidential information – such as software codes – with its competitor Intel . Above all, Qualcomm is known as a provider of processors and radio chips, but also claims the invention of many other technologies in smartphones for themselves.
