Apple and Qualcomm settle global FRAND dispute
Apple and Qualcomm have announced the end of all litigation between the two companies worldwide, ending years of court battles between the pair.
As part of the settlement, Apple will pay an undisclosed sum to Qualcomm.
In a press release issued yesterday, April 16, the companies said they have also signed a six-year licence agreement effective as of April 1.
The licensing deal will include a two-year option to extend and a multiyear agreement to supply Apple with Qualcomm chipsets.
The news marks the end of a bitter patent licensing dispute. Apple accused Qualcomm of licensing its chips on non-fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms. Qualcomm, in response, accused Apple of infringing its patents.
The dispute brought the two companies to court in several jurisdictions including China, Germany and the US.
In December, a Chinese court issued injunctions preventing the sale of certain older iPhone models, which it said infringed Qualcomm’s patents.
News of the agreement comes just months after Apple CEO Tim Cook played down hopes of settling the dispute out of court.
“I’m not sure where that thinking is coming from,” Cook said in January of a potential settlement.
Qualcomm, however, maintained at the time that it was still hopeful of finding a resolution.
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