Qualcomm posts bonds to stop iPhone sales in Germany
US telecommunications company Qualcomm has taken steps to enforce a court order banning the sale of some iPhone models in Germany.
Amid a patent dispute between Qualcomm and Apple, Qualcomm was granted an injunction against Apple in December 2018 banning the sale of iPhone models 7 and 8 from all Apple stores in Germany.
Under the terms of the injunction, the ban will now come into effect after Qualcomm posted the required bonds of €1.34 billion ($1.5 billion) on Thursday, January 3.
The District Court of Munich’s decision, published on December 20, ruled that Apple phones containing a combination of chips from technology company Intel and supplier Qorvo violated one of Qualcomm’s patents for “envelope tracking”, a feature that helps mobile phones save battery while sending and receiving wireless signals.
The smartphone maker said after the verdict last month that the banned models—the iPhone 7 and 8—will not be sold at Apple’s 15 retail stores in Germany. However, the banned models will still be sold through mobile network carriers and third-party retailers throughout Germany.
A spokesman for Gravis, Germany’s biggest re-seller of Apple products, , that it still had all Apple products on sale, including the iPhone 7 and 8 models.
According to Reuters, a spokeswoman for the Munich Regional Court said today, Friday December 4, that Apple had appealed against the District Court of Munich’s December 20 ruling.
In a statement, Qualcomm said Apple was ordered to cease the sale, offer for sale and importation for sale of all infringing iPhones in Germany. It also said the court has ordered Apple to recall infringing iPhones from all third party re-sellers in Germany.
The ruling comes as the latest development in an ongoing legal dispute between the two companies, which are engaged in patent litigation around the world.
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