Qualcomm might try to block iPhone shipments over royalty dispute
Bloomberg reports the chipmaker will ask the US ITC to ban Apple's imports.
The Qualcomm vs. Apple licensing squabble had already gotten messy with lawsuits flying in both directions, but a report by Bloomberg says things could go to the next level soon. That's because according to sources, Qualcomm plans to ask the ITC to block Apple from importing its phones from where they're built in Asia to the US, ahead of new devices that we're anticipating in the fall. We don't know if it could be successful, although Qualcomm holds a number of patents in the space and Apple stopped making payments while the dispute is ongoing.
Qualcomm has cut its revenue outlook by $500 million because of the anticipated lack of licensing fees, so this is no small matter. It claims its patented technology is crucial to the iPhone even as it's being manufactured by someone else, while Apple disagrees. We don't know if there's any chance the ITC will side with Qualcomm and actually ban any devices, but the threat puts billions of dollars in iPhone sales at risk.
