Apple suspends some iPhone sales in Germany as Qualcomm ponies up

Apple is pausing sales of some older iPhones in Germany during a patent fight with chipmaker Qualcomm.

On Dec. 20, the District Court of Munich found that Apple infringed Qualcomm's technology for power savings in smartphones and ruled that the iPhone maker must halt sales of the device in Germany, according to Qualcomm's release.

Apple said in a statement at the time that it plans to appeal the ruling, with the aim of delaying -- and eventually overturning -- the court's injunction against sales. Apple said, though, that during the appeals process, it wouldn't sell the older iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 at its 15 retail stores in Germany. 

On Thursday, Qualcomm made the sales ban official by posting 1.34 billion euros (about $1.5 billion) in bonds covering potential damages incurred by Apple should the judgment be overturned or amended on appeal.

The recent iPhone XS models and iPhone XR will still be for sale, Apple said in December. And at the time, it said all iPhone models would still be available through its carriers and third-party retailers in 6,000 German locations.

Qualcomm on Thursday, though, said the ban extends to third-party resellers. "Apple was ordered to cease the sale, offer for sale and importation for sale of all infringing iPhones in Germany," the company said in a press release. "The court also ordered Apple to recall infringing iPhones from third party resellers in Germany."

Apple on Thursday reiterated its previous statement but didn't respond to questions about the impact on third party iPhone sellers. 

In December, Apple called Qualcomm's lawsuit "a desperate attempt to distract from the real issues between our companies. Their tactics, in the courts and in their everyday business, are harming innovation and harming consumers. Qualcomm insists on charging exorbitant fees based on work they didn't do, and they are being investigated by governments all around the world for their behavior."

The Qualcomm patent involved in the Munich ruling enables smartphones to use power more efficiently and can extend a phone's battery life.

"Two respected courts in two different jurisdictions just in the past two weeks have now confirmed the value of Qualcomm's patents and declared Apple an infringer, ordering a ban on iPhones in the important markets of Germany and China," Don Rosenberg, executive vice president and general counsel at Qualcomm, said in a release in December. 

The company also said Apple is liable for monetary damages in an amount to be determined later. 
Source: https://www.cnet.com

Share this news on: