Foxconn not in settlement talks with Qualcomm in Apple battle, says lead attorney Boutrous

“The lead attorney for the group of Apple Inc device assemblers seeking at least $9 billion in damages from Qualcomm Inc said on Sunday the contract manufacturers are not in settlement talks with the mobile chip supplier and are ‘gearing up and heading toward the trial’ in April,” Stephen Nellis reports for Reuters.
“The group of contract manufacturers – which includes Foxconn parent Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, Pegatron Corp, Wistron Corp and Compal Electronics Inc – became embroiled in the dispute between Apple and Qualcomm last year,” Nellis reports. “In the supply chain for electronics, contract manufacturers buy Qualcomm chips and pay royalties when they build phones, and are in turn reimbursed by companies like Apple. Qualcomm sued the group last year, alleging they had stopped paying royalties related to Apple products, and Apple joined their defense.”
“The contract manufacturers have since filed claims of their own against Qualcomm, alleging the San Diego company’s practice of charging money for chips but then also asking for a cut of the adjusted selling price of a mobile phone as a patent royalty payment constitutes an anticompetitive business practice.,” Nellis reports. “Ted Boutrous, a high-profile partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP who is representing the contract manufacturers, told Reuters that statements from Qualcomm executives suggesting there were meaningful settlement talks with the contract manufacturers were ‘false.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Bring on the trials!
Qualcomm’s unreasonable, illogical, and irrational licensing scam, which charges a percentage of the total cost of all components in the phone, even non-Qualcomm components, must end.
SEE ALSO:
Apple says a Chinese iPhone ban would force a settlement with Qualcomm – December 14, 2018
U.S. FTC seeking to ‘redress and prevent recurrence of Qualcomm’s conduct’ through antitrust injunction – December 3, 2018
Qualcomm CEO: We’re ‘on the doorstep’ of a resolution with Apple – November 28, 2018
Apple not in settlement talks ‘at any level’ with Qualcomm – November 7, 2018
Qualcomm claims Apple owes them $7 billion in royalties while Apple says 73% of Qualcomm’s patents have expired – October 27, 2018
Qualcomm seeks to keep patent claims out of legal fight with Apple – October 26, 2018
Qualcomm and U.S. FTC ask judge to delay ruling to pursue settlement talks – October 16, 2018