U.S. Court Finds Apple Infringed Qualcomm IP

By Dylan McGrath, EETimes
March 18, 2019

SAN FRANCISCO — A U.S. federal court found that several iPhone models infringe on patents held by Qualcomm, a major setback for Apple in the patent fight between the two companies that has been unfolding in several jurisdictions throughout the world.

A jury in U.S. District Court in San Diego found that Apple’s iPhone 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, and X infringe patents held by Qualcomm. The jury awarded Qualcomm $31 million for damages covering July 6, 2017 — the date the lawsuit was originally filed — through the end of the trial.

The $31 million in damages may seem like an insignificant sum for Apple, particularly because it came less than one day after a pretrial ruling in a separate case that found Qualcomm liable for nearly $1 billion in missed royalty payments to Apple. But the finding of patent infringement is potentially more significant because it may force Apple to license the technology involved from Qualcomm going forward.

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