Qualcomm won an injunction that allows a ban on sales of some iPhone models in Germany, giving the chipmaker another weapon in its long and bitter licensing battle with Apple

Qualcomm Inc won an injunction that allows a ban on sales of some iPhone models in Germany, giving the chipmaker another weapon in its long and bitter licensing battle with Apple Inc only 10 days after winning a similar judgment in China.

Most iPhones will stay on store shelves through Christmas, however. In order to block sales of any Apple products, Qualcomm would have to post a 668.4 million-euro ($765 million) bond to cover any losses if the ruling is reversed on appeal.

The Munich Regional Court ruled Thursday that Apple is infringing intellectual property related to a hardware energy-saving feature on the phones. The ban covers “at least” the variations of the iPhone 7, 8, and X, Presiding Judge Matthias Zigann said when delivering the judgment.

The ruling is the latest decision in a long-running global patent battle between the companies. San Diego, California-based Qualcomm said last week that the Fuzhou Intermediate People’s Court in China issued a similar order that applied to older iPhone 6s as well.

Apple said all iPhone models will be available in the shops of phone carriers and resellers, about 4,300 locations in Germany. During the appeal, Apple’s 15 own shops in the country won’t sell iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models but iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR will remain available, the company said in an emailed statement.

Qualcomm’s “tactics, in the courts and in their everyday business, are harming innovation and harming consumers,” Apple said. “Qualcomm insists on charging exorbitant fees based on work they didn’t do and they are being investigated by governments all around the world for their behaviour.” Rival chipmaker Intel Corp. called the case “another attempt to stifle competition.”

Courtesy by : The Indian Express