Oliver Haslam·

Chinese Court Grants Qualcomm Import Ban On iPhone X To 6s, Apple Files Appeal

The spat between Apple and Qualcomm continues, after both CNBC and Reuters reported that the Fuzhou Intermediate People’s Court has granted the chip maker an import ban on a number of iPhones. In fact, anything from the iPhone 6s all the way through the iPhone X has now been banned.

This comes after the court decided that those devices do indeed violate two of Qualcomm’s patents. That means that the phones will not be allowed to be sold in China.

However, as of right now, Apple continues to sell all of the impacted phones in China, and Apple doesn’t plan for that to change.

Qualcomm’s effort to ban our products is another desperate move by a company whose illegal practices are under investigation by regulators around the world. All iPhone models remain available for our customers in China. Qualcomm is asserting three patents they had never raised before, including one which has already been invalidated. We will pursue all our legal options through the courts.

Of those three patents, one related to the sizing and appearance of photos, while another relates to managing applications on a touch-screen. Qualcomm believes that Apple is infringing on its patents, and now it would seem that a Chinese court agrees.

We deeply value our relationships with customers, rarely resorting to the courts for assistance, but we also have an abiding belief in the need to protect intellectual property rights. Apple continues to benefit from our intellectual property while refusing to compensate us. These Court orders are further confirmation of the strength of Qualcomm’s vast patent portfolio.

Interestingly, the ban doesn’t apply to any phone with iOS 12 installed, which presumably is what’s allowing Apple to continue selling the phones in the country. That isn’t stopping Apple from appealing the ban, though, and it continues to claim that it does not infringe on any valid patent.

(Sources: CNBC, Reuters)

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