Google, Microsoft, Facebook and other tech giants take Apple’s side in its months-long legal dispute with Qualcomm

Earlier this month, Qualcomm sought to bar Apple from importing, marketing and showcasing its phones in the country, claiming Cupertino infringed six Qualcomm tech patents.
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"If the ITC were to grant this exclusion order, it would help Qualcomm use its monopoly power for further leverage against Apple and allow them to drive up prices on consumer devices," Ed Black, the CEO of the Association, said in a statement. “What’s at stake here is certainly the availability of iPhones and other smartphones at better prices."
The group also commented that such a ban on iPhones would cause “significant shocks to supply” and would ultimately have a largely negative result for consumers.
Qualcomm’s request to the ITC was the tip of an iceberg of countless in- and out-of-court accusations with Apple. The court proceedings started at the beginning of this year, when the FTC challenged Qualcomm's decision to charge Cupertino higher royalties for some of its patented tech, alleging that big-Q effectively sought to monopolize the market. The issue is that Qualcomm charges a fee as a percentage of the total price of a device, which, Apple suggests, unjustly enriches the chipmaker for parts and tech it does not own. Consequently, Apple withheld $1 billon in due payments to Qualcomm, instructing its partner distributors, such as Foxconn, to do the same.
The chipmaker first sought a preliminary injunction and declaratory relief against Apple, but to no end, and then went in horns-first, seeking to ban iPhones in the US and halt Apple’s profits from the contested patents.
We really don’t know how and when the saga will end. The issue is no longer contained between Apple and Qualcomm, as more stakeholders jump on the wagon, meaning this could drag for months to come.
source: Reuters