Qualcomm Returns Fire in Apple Suit

Chip vendor turns up heat in patent battle

Rick Merritt, EETimes
4/11/2017 03:20 AM EDT

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Apple refused to pay cellular chip royalties, pressured its contract manufacturers not to pay them, instigated regulatory investigations and throttled performance of an LTE modem chip, according to Qualcomm.

The charges are contained in a 134-page court document the chip vendor filed in response to Apple’s $1 billion suit filed in January. Apple alleged Qualcomm charges exorbitant patent royalties and paid the iPhone maker not to talk to regulators.

The document provides a rare look into the sometimes combative relationship and complex web of agreements between the two mobile giants. It also sheds light on the murky area of patent royalties.

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