Apple violated patents and is to pay $31 million in damages to mobile chip maker, Qualcomm, a jury ruled. The verdict Friday in a San Diego federal court follows a two-week trial pitting two former allies that have become bitter adversaries.
The lawsuit stems from 2017, when Qualcomm alleged that Apple had used its technology without permission in some versions of its popular iPhone, according to Cnet. The technology helps iPhones quickly connect to the internet and extend their battery life.
The trial is a fragment of a legal battle involving Apple and Qualcomm, who are sparing over who invented some of the technology used for key features in smartphones and other mobile devices.
The decision comes ahead of a highly anticipated trial next month between Apple and Qualcomm. That dispute is focused on Qualcomm’s patent royalties with Apple and involves billions, Cnet said.
The jury agreed with Qualcomm’s contention that it should be paid $1.41 per iPhone relying on three of its patents.
Qualcomm hailed the verdict as a validation of its technology’s importance to iPhones. Apple said it was disappointed with the decision.
‘The technologies invented by Qualcomm and others are what made it possible for Apple to enter the market and become so successful so quickly,’ Don Rosenberg, Qualcomm’s general counsel, said in a statement.
‘We are gratified that courts all over the world are rejecting Apple’s strategy of refusing to pay for the use of our IP.’
In a statement, Apple said it was disappointed with the outcome.
‘Qualcomm’s ongoing campaign of patent infringement claims is nothing more than an attempt to distract from the larger issues they face with investigations into their business practices in US Federal Court, and around the world,’ Apple said.
The biggest case, filed by Apple in early 2017, began in April. Apple has sought to dismantle what it calls Qualcomm’s illegal business model of both licensing patents and selling chips to phone makers.
Qualcomm has accused Apple of using its technology without paying.
Qualcomm last year sued Apple alleging it had violated patents related to helping mobile phones get better battery life.
During an eight-day trial, Qualcomm asked the jury to award it unpaid patent royalties of up to $1.41 per iPhone that violated the patents.
The $31 million penalty is small change for Apple, the second most valuable US company after Microsoft Corp, with a market value of $866 billion and annual revenue totaling hundreds of billions of dollars.
It declined to comment on whether it would appeal.
