Qualcomm claims that Apple stole its chip technology and gave it to Intel — and it says it’s got the proof.
According to the chipmaker, Apple stole “vast swaths” of confidential information and trade secrets, which it used to improve the performance of chips made by Qualcomm rival Intel. The claims are part of a new court filing by Qualcomm.
The filing was made in Superior Court in San Diego. Speaking with CNBC, Qualcomm’s general counsel, Donald Rosenberg, said that, “Unlawful use of Qualcomm’s valuable trade secrets to try to help a competitor catch up irreparably harms us and must not be allowed to continue.”
Previously, Qualcomm sued Apple due to being blocked from auditing Apple’s use of its source code. Now, however, it has amended this to claim that the source code and tools were stolen with the purpose of helping Intel to overcome flaws in its designs that it was struggling with.
Qualcomm says that it has access to “back and forth” discussion between Apple and Intel engineers. This includes email correspondence, Apple’s source code development history, and the code used in Intel-based phones.
The case is on track for a court date in April.
Apple vs. Qualcomm
Apple first sued Qualcomm back in January 2017, alleging it owed $1 billion in rebates. Apple then decided to withhold royalty payments for the Qualcomm modems it was using. Qualcomm followed with a series of lawsuits of its own. The battle has raged on since then, and by now has more twists than a pretzel.
Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf has previously said he’s confident that Qualcomm’s feud with Apple can be resolved. However, today’s news suggests that that won’t be happening any time soon!
Source: CNBC
