A San Diego jury has decided Apple has infringed on three technology patents owned by Qualcomm in some of their iPhones. The decision awards the entire $31 million to Qualcomm that it had been asking.
CNET:
Qualcomm, which filed the suit in July 2017, alleged that Apple had used its technology without permission in some versions of its popular iPhone. The jury awarded Qualcomm the full amount it had requested at the start of the two-week trial, which took place in San Diego.
One disputed Qualcomm patent covers technology that lets a smartphone quickly connect to the internet once the device is turned on. Another deals with graphics processing and battery life. The third addresses technology that shifts traffic between a phone’s apps processor and modem.
The $31 million award, which comes out to $1.41 per infringing iPhone, is based on estimates of iPhone sales between July 2017 and last fall.
In response to the judgement, an Apple spokesperson told AppleInsider “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.”
As you might imagine, Qualcomm general counsel Don Rosenberg had a different outlook on the decision, calling it “the latest victory in our worldwide litigation directed at holding Apple accountable for using our valuable technologies without paying for them. The technologies invented by Qualcomm and others are what makes it possible for Apple to enter the market and become so successful so quickly.”