Qualcomm hits Apple with counterclaims in $1 billion patent battle

You knew this was going to happen, didn’t you? Qualcomm has “slammed Apple with a slew of counterclaim”s in California federal court on Monday, alleging the iPhone maker is lowballing license terms for Qualcomm’s standard essential patent technology, breaching cooperation agreements and making billions of dollars off of other companies’ innovations, reports Law360.

In January 2016, Apple filed a lawsuit against Qualcomm, alleging the chip supplier demanded unfair terms for its technology.  The same month saw the Federal Trade Commission file a complaint in federal district court charging Qualcomm with using anticompetitive tactics to maintain its monopoly in the supply of a key semiconductor device used in cell phones and other consumer products.

In a Monday federal court filing, Qualcomm said Apple wouldn’t have an iPhone business if it weren’t for fair licensing of essential tech from Qualcomm. The company says it went out of its way to offer alternative licensing (which Apple rejected), and that, in suing Qualcomm, Apple is motivated by reducing the cost to make iPhones.