Apple and Qualcomm are back in the headlines but this time for some completely different reasons. The news has flown in that Apple has filed a case against Qualcomm citing that the leading chip-making brand is overcharging them for chips and has declined to pay a rebate of $1 billion which they had promised earlier.
A few days back the USA government brought the charge against Qualcomm that they are trying to bring in such a policy that would enable them to monopolise their business and make the market completely anti-competitive as far as chipsets in the smartphones are concerned. And in the wake of that, Apple has now sued Qualcomm to court in order to get hold of the promised rebates.
Apple has come up with the accusation that Qualcomm is trying to overcharge them for they are the only company who has been able to provide smartphone semiconductors of the highest quality. To add that Qualcomm is denying paying the rebates on the wake of the news that Apple has communicated with the Korea Fair Trade Commission regarding various issues. Not only that, Apple has been quoted saying in their lawsuit that, “If that were not enough, Qualcomm then attempted to extort Apple into changing its responses and providing false information to the KFTC in exchange for Qualcomm’s release of those payments to Apple.”
Now in reply to that, Don Rosenberg has come out with the statement accusing Apple of the fact that the Cupertino-based smartphone making brand has brought administrative charges against Qualcomm’s business and that they have done it on a large scale, in different parts of the world. Don Rosenberg is the General Counsel of Qualcomm, and he has added to that saying that Apple has misrepresented the terms and are themselves withholding relevant information. And it seems that Qualcomm has taken up the challenge as well as Rosenberg has been quoted saying, “We welcome the opportunity to have these meritless claims heard in court where we will be entitled to full discovery of Apple’s practices and a robust examination of the merits.”
Qualcomm has been the chief supplier to Apple for the chipsets that come with their smartphones. However, Apple came out of the alliance recently. Samsung did that as well, but they are back in allegiance for the production of the latest flagship device they have already launched. But as it stands now, things are poised in the balance and we might come across an interesting session of punches and counter-punches between two of the most popular brands in the world of technology.
