Understand the Qualcomm vs. Apple dispute in one minute: iPhone assembly plants are caught in the middle

　　Bloomberg reported that Qualcomm , dissatisfied with Apple's refusal to pay billions of dollars in smartphone chip licensing fees, decided to retaliate and prepare to ask the US International Trade Commission (ITC) to ban iPhone imports. Let's follow the mobile phone portable editor to learn more about the relevant content.

Take a minute to understand the controversy:

　　●What is the focus of the dispute?

　　Qualcomm 's patents allow it to charge a certain percentage of the selling price of all smartphones that use 3G/UMTS and 4G/LTE standards, regardless of whether the product uses Qualcomm chips.  Apple claims that this system is unfair and that Qualcomm is illegally using the licensing to support its own chip business.

　　●Can Qualcomm's latest countermeasures stop iPhone 8 from being imported into the US?

　　Bloomberg Industry Research analyzed that if Qualcomm requests a ban on iPhone imports and sales in the United States through the ITC channel, it will take 21 months to achieve its goal. The new generation of iPhone 8 may be launched this fall.

　　Unlike the U.S. District Court, the ITC does not have the power to determine infringement-related losses, but it has the power to prohibit the import and sale of infringing products. Bloomberg Industry Research pointed out that intensifying the litigation war will help improve Qualcomm's settlement bargaining chips.

　　After the complaint is filed, the ITC will launch an investigation one month, evaluate the testimony of both parties and solicit public opinions. It will take 18 months to make a ruling. If the ITC finds that infringement is established, there will be a 60-day evaluation period before the import ban is officially implemented.

　　●Is it Apple or the assembly plant that pays the royalties ?

　　Almost all related components must obtain industry standard licenses from Qualcomm. Bloomberg Industry Research also analyzed that it is Foxconn and other iPhone assemblers who pay royalties, not Apple. Apple believes that there is a "double payment" situation. Companies that assemble iPhones and other Apple products will transfer the licensing costs to Apple.

　　Apple's refusal to pay royalties is equivalent to indirectly asking Compal Computer, Foxconn, Wistron, and Pegatron not to pay royalties. Qualcomm therefore accused Apple of ignoring its own contracts and interfering with the licensing agreements between Qualcomm and manufacturers.

    The above is an introduction about the controversy between Qualcomm and Apple in mobile phone portability - one minute to understand the iPhone assembly plant in the middle. If you want to know more relevant information, please pay more attention to eeworld. eeworld Electronic Engineering will provide you with more complete, detailed and updated information.