Leaked emails reveal new reason why Apple went to war with Qualcomm

“When Apple Inc. executive Jeff Williams told a courtroom that Qualcomm Inc. cut off chip supply for iPhones, it was compelling testimony in the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust case against the semiconductor company,” Ian King and Mark Gurman report for Bloomberg.
“The FTC argues that Qualcomm won’t sell chips if customers don’t also pay hefty licensing fees. But a 2017 email exchange between Williams and Qualcomm Chief Executive Officer Steve Mollenkopf shows the relationship may have broken down for other reasons,” King and Gurman report. “Billions of dollars in chip supply deals involving Apple and Qualcomm may have actually collapsed over a squabble about software access, rather than the patent fees that sparked a bitter legal battle between the two technology giants, according to the emails seen by Bloomberg.”
“Williams said Apple would not leak key Qualcomm computer code needed to customize modem chips — something the chipmaker had accused the iPhone maker of doing. The chief operating officer offered to ‘firewall’ engineers using the software,” King and Gurman report. “Mollenkopf offered to provide the software access Apple needed. In return, he asked for a commitment from Apple to use Qualcomm modem chips in at least 50 percent of iPhones over two years, according to the emails. The exchange suggests that Qualcomm and Apple were arguing over software, rather than the licenses at the center of their bruising legal battle. Still, the emails only offer a small window into the negotiations. ”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: This software issue was but one minor niggle. The real issue is Qualcomm’s extortion racket.
Qualcomm is obligated, and should finally be forced, to license their technology on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms.
Qualcomm’s unreasonable, illogical, and irrational licensing scam, which charges a percentage of the total cost of all components in the phone, even non-Qualcomm components, must end.
SEE ALSO:
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Qualcomm warns Apple to take China’s ban of older iPhones very seriously – December 19, 2018
Qualcomm claims Apple is violating Chinese court order, despite software changes – December 18, 2018
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Apple denies iPhone import ban in China – December 10, 2018
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