Qualcomm is harassing Apple execs by calling them as witnesses in an unrelated lawsuit, according to lawyers for the Cupertino company.
Apple has asked for subpoenas to be withdrawn, accusing the chipmaker of simply seeking revenge for past disputes between the two companies …
Background
Apple and Qualcomm had a long-running and very heated legal battle over patents, before it the iPhone maker was eventually forced to settle out of court.
Apple bought modem chips from Qualcomm for its iPhones. These modems contained patented technology, and the chipmaker charged Apple both for the chips themselves and a separate license fee for use of the patented tech. The iPhone maker objected to this as “double-dipping,” and things got very messy.
Qualcomm accused Apple of blackmail. The CEOs of the two companies had ‘hostile’ meetings. Qualcomm refused to sell chips to Apple for the iPhone XS and XR. Both companies set aside earlier talk of settlement and pledged to fight it all the way.
A multibillion-dollar trial began – then unexpectedly ended on day one when the two companies reached an out-of-court settlement.
No explanation was offered – but the settlement was almost certainly at the request of Apple after it was effectively left with no choice but to repair its relationship with Qualcomm when Intel exited the 5G smartphone modem business.
While the matter was officially over, there is still said to be bad blood between the two companies.
Qualcomm is harassing Apple execs, say lawyers
Qualcomm is now defending an unrelated lawsuit, in which investors accuse the chipmaker of securities fraud by artificially boosting its share price. One relevant issue here is the antitrust case brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which Qualcomm won.
As part of its defence, Qualcomm is seeking to depose (interview under oath) two very senior Apple execs – COO Jeffrey Williams, and chief counsel Bruce Watrous. Reuters reports that both object to this, saying that the lawsuit doesn’t involve them.
Lawyers for Jeffrey Williams, who has served as Apple’s chief operating office since 2015, and Bruce Watrous, the company’s chief corporate and commercial counsel, on Friday asked a U.S. judge to quash subpoenas from Qualcomm and the plaintiffs in the investors’ lawsuit.
Lawyers for Apple Inc also want the subpoenas withdrawn, claiming that this is just petty payback.
Apple also said its “communications with the FTC are not relevant to the securities litigation between Qualcomm and its shareholders regarding alleged false statements by Qualcomm.”
Qualcomm “seems to have seized the opportunity to harass Apple, its former litigation opponent,” lawyers for Apple said.
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