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US: Apple and Qualcomm drop all antitrust suits in surprise settlement

By  |  April 16, 2019

In press releases on Tuesday, April 16, Apple and Qualcomm announced they had agreed to settle all disputes worldwide. “Qualcomm and Apple today announced an agreement to dismiss all litigation between the two companies worldwide”.

The companies—one the maker of iPhones, the other one of the largest providers of mobile chips—added that, effective 1 April, they had reached a six-year licensing agreement and a multiyear chipset supply agreement, including a two-year option to extend.

The settlement includes an undisclosed payment from Apple to Qualcomm as well as a chipset supply agreement, suggesting that Apple will buy Qualcomm chips for future iPhones. The companies did not say how much the payment will be.

The legal battle dates back to 2017, spreading over three continents with Apple suing Qualcomm for over $1 billion in unpaid royalty rebates and accusing the San Diego chip company of anticompetitive patent licensing practices.

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