Qualcomm

Judge denies Qualcomm’s request for iPhone import ban, but says Apple infringes on one patent

Chance Miller | Sep 29 2018 - 7:21 am PT

As part of the ongoing legal battle between the two, a U.S. trade judge has declined Qualcomm’s request for an import ban on certain iPhone models. As reported by Reuters, the judge said that while some iPhone models infringe on one Qualcomm patent, an import ban would go against certain factors…

A U.S. International Trade Commission judge said that select iPhone models infringe upon one Qualcomm patent related to power management technology. The judge, however, added that “public interest factors” weigh against the import ban request from Qualcomm:

A U.S. International Trade Commission judge said Apple’s phones infringed one Qualcomm patent related to power management technology, but denied the chipmaker’s request for a ban on the import of some iPhones into the United States.

Thomas Pender, an administrative law judge at the ITC, said that “public interest factors” weighed against granting Qualcomm’s request for a ban.

In a stament, Apple said that it’s “glad” the ITC stopped Qualcomm from trying to “damage competition and harm innovators and US consumers.”

“We’re glad the ITC stopped Qualcomm’s attempt to damage competition and ultimately harm innovators and U.S. consumers,” Apple said.

Meanwhile, Qualcomm said in its statement that while it was pleased the judge found patent infringement, it doesn’t make sense for the ITC to not then block imports of the infringing products:

“It makes no sense to then allow infringement to continue by denying an import ban. That goes against the ITC mandate to protect American innovators by blocking the import of infringing products,” Qualcomm general counsel Don Rosenberg said. “There are many ways Apple could stop infringing our technology without affecting the public interest.”

Just earlier this week, Qualcomm raised the stakes in legal battle with Apple, accusing the company of stealing trade secrets and giving the information to Intel. Nonetheless, Qualcomm’s CEO hopes the two companies can do business together again.