Qualcomm has lost its bid to block iPhone imports as part to its ongoing legal dispute with Apple. According to Reuters, Thomas Pender, a judge for the U.S.
International Trade Commission denied Qualcomm’s request that iPhones with Intel chips be blocked from import due to patent infringement. While the administrative law judge acknowledged that the iPhone does infringe on one Qualcomm patent related to power management technology, he said that “public interest factors” outweighed granting Qualcomm’s request for a ban.
In response to the decision, Apple said in a statement that “We’re glad the ITC stopped Qualcomm’s attempt to damage competition and ultimately harm innovators and U.S. consumers,” while Qualomm’s general counsel Don Rosenberg expressed pleasure that the judge found patent infringement, but added that “it makes no sense to then allow infringement to continue by denying an import ban,” as it “goes against the ITC mandate to protect American innovators by blocking the import of infringing products.” The two companies continue to battle it out in the courts, with Apple accusing Qualcomm of unfair licensing practices and Qualcomm accusing Apple of patent infringment.
