Qualcomm trying to get iPhone sales banned in China

Qualcomm is claiming that Apple is infringing on some of their patents with the iPhone, and has filed several lawsuits in the Beijing intellectual property court in an attempt to get iPhones removed from the shelves in Chinese stores.

This patent dispute is ongoing, and the two companies have been fighting each other in various markets around the world. The earlier cases have been focused on Qualcomm’s practice of charging a percentage of the sale price of each Apple device for the rights to use their patents, while an Apple representative told Reuters that they were willing to pay reasonable rates for the patents they use. There might not be a direct link here, but Qualcomm’s share price dropped slightly while Apple’s increased somewhat.

If the court grants this ban, then it could have a significant financial impact on Apple in one of the worlds largest consumer electronics markets. However, a more likely outcome is that Qualcomm is using this to try and gain more leverage during negotiations, perhaps hoping that Apple will come to an agreement with them outside of court regarding licensing fees.