German court throws out Qualcomm’s latest patent case against Apple

“A patent lawsuit filed by Qualcomm Inc against Apple Inc was thrown out by a German court on Tuesday, in a reversal for the U.S. chipmaker after it won a recent court ban on the sale of some iPhones in the country,” Reuters reports. “Qualcomm, waging a worldwide patent battle with Apple, said it would appeal after winning a separate case before a court in Munich in December that enabled it to enforce a ban on the sale of older iPhones in Germany.”
“Apple declined to comment on the Mannheim decision. It referred to a statement issued in response to the Dec. 20 ruling in Munich, against which it is appealing,” Reuters reports. “Apple said at the time that, while a decision on the Munich appeal is outstanding, it would no longer stock the iPhone 7 and 8 at its 15 retail outlets in Germany, although its newer models would remain on sale. All of its models remain available through carriers and resellers.”
“Qualcomm, meanwhile, faces a U.S. antitrust case brought by the Federal Trade Commission which accuses it of abusing a monopoly on mobile chip technology in a trial that could have a major impact on the smartphone industry,” Reuters reports. “If the government prevails in the trial that began on Jan. 4, Qualcomm could be forced to change its practices for licensing a trove of patents to device makers like Apple.”
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MacDailyNews Take: Tick-tock, Qualcomm extortionists. Tick-tock.
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