Just days after Qualcomm scored a victory in its war with Apple, it’s pushing to target the tech giant’s latest iPhones.
Qualcomm (QCOMM) is requesting courts in China ban the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max from the country, Financial Times is reporting. Speaking to the Financial Times in an interview, Qualcomm’s attorney Jiang Hongyi said that the company will argue that Apple (AAPL) violated two of its patents in its latest iPhone models and will use that as a basis to have them removed from Chinese store shelves.
The latest salvo comes after a Chinese court on Monday banned the sale of older iPhones in China. The injunction, which is preliminary and subject to rounds of appeals, centers on the court’s decision that Apple violated the same two Qualcomm patents in older models. Apple has denied any and all violation claims brought by Qualcomm and has said that it would fight those claims in court.
Despite the injunction, Apple said on Monday that its iPhones remain on sale on mainland China. Apple also appealed the court’s decision.
Qualcomm’s decision to add the latest iPhones to the lawsuit adds another wrinkle to what has become an international disagreement between the companies over patents and royalties. Both companies have sued each other and Apple has moved away from using Qualcomm chips in its latest iPhones.
Judging by what’s happening in China, there appears to be no end in sight to what could be a protracted—and costly—battle.
