After getting iPhones banned in China, Qualcomm has set its sights on the US. The chipmaker had previously tried to block certain iPhones from being sold in the US, but the US International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled against it. The court is now reconsidering this decision.
To recap, Qualcomm wanted iPhones running on Intel chips to be removed from the US market since they apparently infringed on 6 of its patents related to battery saving and performance. The case began in July 2017 and went through many twists and turns.
Apple Won, But It Also Lost
Qualcomm eventually dropped 3 of the patents. The ITC finally ruled that Apple had infringed on only 1 of the patents and dismissed the other 2. The court also decided that stopping sales of the iPhone would not be in the public’s interest. Apple basically won, but it was still found guilty in a way.
Reuters (via Fudzilla) reports that the ITC has now decided to review the complicated case. First, it’s going to see if that one patent really was infringed. Second, it’s going to decide if it was right to not grant Qualcomm any relief.
The ITC is also going to look into how much time it would take for Apple to work around Qualcomm’s patent for battery saving, as well as national security concerns which might emerge from a sales ban. It’s even thinking about a limited import ban.
Also Read: Apple working on its own iPhone modems to challenge Qualcomm
Qualcomm is naturally happy about this turn of events. Apple hasn’t said anything yet, but it’s probably fuming about its victory being in danger. The ITC will announce its final decision before February 19. In the meanwhile, the iPhone maker has to sort out its mess in China.
China just banned most iPhones from being sold in the nation after Qualcomm claimed that they were infringing on its patents. Apple has ignored the court’s orders and asked it to reconsider its decision. We’ll see how all this pans out in the coming days.