Apple counter sues Qualcomm for patent infringement; the legal battle continues

Looks like the legal dispute between Apple and Qualcomm is far from getting over. In a recent development, the iPhone maker has filed a countersuit against Qualcomm, alleging that Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipsets infringe on Apple's patents. The case was filed on Wednesday at the US District Court in San Diego.

Apple accused Qualcomm of violating at least eight battery life patents that Apple owns. Apple's patents describe how a phone's processor can draw only the minimum power needed by turning off parts of the processor when they are not required. In its filing, Apple alleges that Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 and Snapdragon 820 chipsets infringe on those patents.

"Apple began seeking those patents years before Qualcomm began seeking the patents it asserts against Apple in this case," stated the complaint filed by Apple. The Cupertino-giant also added that it is seeking unspecified damages from Qualcomm.

Back in July, Qualcomm had also accused Apple of infringing several patents related to improving the battery life of mobile phones. Naturally, Apple had denied the claims saying that it didn't violate Qualcomm's battery life patents. The company further stated that Qualcomm's patents were invalid.

Well, the long-going legal war between two of the biggest companies in the tech industry has now taken an interesting turn. We are yet to see how Qualcomm plans to defend itself against the allegations made by Apple.

In any case, time is not favoring the California-based chipset makers. Currently, Qualcomm is facing another lawsuit from the US Federal Trade Commission over many of the same pricing practices Apple names in its complaints.

Source: Reuters