Apple revives Imagination chip licensing deal
Apple has struck a new licensing deal with British chipmaker Imagination Technologies, more than two years after a high-profile breakdown in the companies’ relationship.
Imagination today, January 2, issued a brief press release which stated that it had “replaced the multi-year, multi-use licence agreement with Apple, first announced on February 6, 2014, with a new multi-year licence agreement under which Apple has access to a wider range of Imagination’s intellectual property in exchange for licence fees”.
Apple has yet to publicly comment on the news.
A longstanding relationship between the two companies appeared to have ended after Apple decided to concentrate on developing its own graphics processor units (GPUs) for its tablets and smartphones.
Apple warned Imagination in 2017 that it would stop relying on its IP within two years.
The move came as a heavy blow to Imagination, which depended on Apple royalties for approximately half of its total revenues.
Loss of Apple’s custom sparked a dispute between the two companies, which saw Imagination call into question Apple’s ability to manufacture its own GPUs without infringing the UK chipmaker’s patents.
“Imagination believes that it would be extremely challenging to design a brand new GPU architecture from basics without infringing its IP rights, accordingly Imagination does not accept Apple’s assertions,” the UK company stated at the time.
Apple said it was “disappointed” by Imagination’s response, which it said was “inaccurate and misleading”.
Imagination was acquired by Chinese equity firm Canyon Bridge for £550 million ($416 million) after the ending of the 2014 licensing agreement.
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