Apple Facing US Import Ban On Some iPhones Due To Patent Infringement
CUPERTINO (CBS SF/AP) -- A trade court judge will recommend banning the import of certain iPhones after finding the Apple devices infringed on technology owned by mobile chip maker Qualcomm.
Qualcomm sued Apple, saying iPhones with Intel Corp. chips infringed on patents for data downloads and power-saving features according to Blooomberg. The original complaint cited the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
It is not clear which phones, if any, will be part of the judge's ban.
San Diego-based Qualcomm wants Apple to pay billions of dollars in unpaid royalties.
"We appreciate Judge McNamara's recognition of Apple's infringement of our hardware patent and that she will be recommending an import ban and cease and desist order," Qualcomm General Counsel Don Rosenberg said in a statement.
Apple accuses Qualcomm of trying to shut out competition and argues that "no import ban should be imposed even if a violation is found," according to Bloomberg.
Qualcomm makes half of all core baseband radio chips in smartphones and has developed a number of foundational patents necessary to upgrade phones to 5G.
It's unclear if the recommended ban will be imposed or even which iPhone models would be affected. McNamara's recommendation still must be weighed by the full trade commission.
© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
