Qualcomm prevails in patent infringement Case against Apple

According to a Qualcomm press release, International Trade Commission Administration Law Judge MaryJoan McNamara indicated she will “recommend that the Commission issue a Limited Exclusion Order barring the importation of infringing products into the United States, and a Cease and Desist Order barring Apple from making further sales in the United States of infringing Apple products that have already been imported and to halt the marketing, advertising, demonstration, warehousing of inventory for distribution and use of those imported products in the United States.” The '674 patent in question improves power management in processor circuitry, which reduces power consumption and improves battery life in mobile devices. Qualcomm accused circuitry in the Apple-designed A10, A11 and A12 application processors used widely in Apple devices, including in iPhones from the iPhone 7 through the most recently released models. Also in the press release, Don Rosenberg, executive VP and general counsel for Qualcomm said, "We are pleased that today ITC Judge McNamara found that Apple-designed processors infringe our '674 patent and will be recommending an import ban and cease and desist order to the Commission. The innovations we contribute to the iPhone extend well beyond a single component and Judge McNamara's decision, along with recent infringement rulings in other U.S. and foreign courts, affirm the value of our technologies." Judge McNamara's ID and recommendation on remedy will be considered by the full Commission and a Final Determination is expected by July 26, 2019. In the past six months, courts in China and Germany have ruled that Apple is infringing additional Qualcomm non-standard essential patents and issued injunctions on infringing devices.