The United States Supreme Court today dismissed Apple’s action against Qualcomm regarding patents. Apple is asking a judge to declare two of Qualcomm’s smartphone patents invalid. The Supreme Court judge said that since the two companies have reached a settlement agreement, Apple can no longer sue on the same issue. In 2017, Qualcomm sued Apple in federal court in San Diego, alleging that its iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches violated various Qualcomm mobile technology patents.
Apple challenged the validity of two of these patents with the Trademark Appeals and Adjudication Board (PTAB) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO).
In 2019, the two companies came to terms, signing a several billion dollars which would allow Apple to continue to use Qualcomm chips in iPhone. The settlement also includes licenses for tens of thousands of Qualcomm patents, including the two at issue, but allows the PTAB case to continue.
The PTAB later ruled in favor of Qualcomm, but Apple appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Last year, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit dismissed Apple’s appeal. As a result, Apple appealed to the US Supreme Court.
Apple told the Supreme Court that she was still at risk of being sued after the settlement agreement reached between the two parties expires in 2025. If the settlement is extended, she may face litigation in 2027. Apple says Qualcomm sued once and made no promises it wouldn’t do it again. Also, going by its history, Qualcomm has generally pursued aggressive patent lawsuits. She asked the judge to dismiss the appeal, saying Apple suffered no specific harm. Because of this, the company says Apple does not have “adequate legal standing” to appeal. In May, the US president also encouraged the Supreme Court to reject the appeal in a briefing.
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