Apple pulls iPhone 7, 8 from German stores after Qualcomm wins a round in global patent battle
- A regional court in Munich ruled that Apple and its subsidiaries had breached a European patent held by Qualcomm
Apple is pulling older models of its iPhone from German stores after losing two patent cases brought by chip maker Qualcomm, the company said on Thursday.
A regional court in Munich ruled that Apple and its subsidiaries had breached a European patent held by San Diego-based Qualcomm, which has pursued similar cases elsewhere around the world.
“Qualcomm’s campaign is a desperate attempt to distract from the real issues between our companies,” Apple said in a statement.
“Their tactics, in the courts and in their everyday business, are harming innovation and harming consumers,” it said. “Qualcomm insists on charging exorbitant fees based on work they did not do and they are being investigated by governments all around the world for their behaviour.”
Apple said that pending its appeal, the sale of iPhone 7 and 8 models will be halted at the 15 Apple stores in Germany. The company noted, however, that all iPhone models remain available from mobile phone carriers and resellers in the country.