ITC Suggests Apple Infringed On Qualcomm Battery Patent

(RTTNews) - As Apple's legal battle with Qualcomm continues to drag on, the United States International Trade Commission recommended that a trade judge find Apple guilty of infringing upon at least one of Qualcomm's patents.

The decision from the ITC doesn't constitute a ruling, but rather a mere suggestion for judges. In many cases, however, the judges often follow what the ITC decides.

Qualcomm has requested an import ban on infringing iPhones. The chipmaker hopes that such a ban - or even a threat of one - would push Apple to settle or drop its legal war against Qualcomm.

The two parties are engaged in more than a dozen legal fights over patents, licensing, and contracts. Given the extent of the case, a decision isn't expected until January.

"Qualcomm is selectively asserting its patents to target only Apple products containing Intel chipsets — even though its patent infringement allegations would apply equally to Apple products containing Qualcomm chipsets — in an attempt to use the ITC as another mechanism for perpetuating its ill-gotten monopoly position," Apple wrote.

Qualcomm, however, says that its practices are legal and have been accepted by customers "for many years as the smartphone industry boomed."