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1, Qualcomm cooperation call card Shi Zhenrong: Taiwan can only continue to pay royalties;
Financial Center / Comprehensive Report Qualcomm has been actively involved in various government investment projects in the past two years, including one of the partners of the Executive Yuan Asia Silicon Valley program. However, in the recent high-profile fair penalty, (27) day, said Taiwan's communications standards in the original is the followers, the original ITRI has a partnership with Qualcomm, and perhaps later will be able to pay some royalties, but look at the current situation Development, Taiwan can only with, can only pay royalties.
Shi Zhenrong today attended the Asian and Silicon Valley Internet of Things industry alliance, he pointed out that the current 5G standard is still in the process of development, the original ITRI and Qualcomm cooperation, the future may be less royalties, but now it seems that Taiwan can only wait Standard dust settled in the technical aspects of Taiwan can only with, can only pay royalties.
Mr Tsang attended the forum, "The Elderly Elderly" forum was asked whether the proposed reduction in the willingness of Qualcomm's cooperation would affect the development of Asia's Silicon Valley. Shi Zhenrong said that the Asian representative market of Asia's Silicon Valley, Innovation, this is an open platform, to create a win situation, the balance of interests is very important, "This is always the leaders to face the challenge." ETNEWS
2, authorized gold war, Taiwan counterattack Qualcomm just to start;
Qualcomm monopoly chip and mobile phone market has a long history, and now caused by China, South Korea, Taiwan, the United States and Europe and other countries and regions of the counter, which South Korea and Taiwan will make a fair to replace the mobile phone licensing model is expected to break the high-pass The mainstream strategy of monopolizing the market.
Taiwan Fair has announced that after more than two years of investigation, confirmed that Qualcomm Corporation to unreasonable patent licensing, baseband chip supply, exclusive trade discounts and other means to limit fair competition, so the decision to cut taxes of $ 23.4 billion Taiwan, the "fair trade law" the highest amount of sanctions, the case will also impact to the mobile phone chip, on behalf of the business, brand, and even industry competition and national strategy, the impact is indeed far-reaching.
High royalties mobile phone factory complain
According to the fair investigation will be in the high-pass unreasonable patent licensing, the most criticized by the industry, is not to chip manufacturers to collect royalties, but to the larger mobile phone manufacturers to collect money, forced mobile phone business to the whole The price of mobile phones multiplied by 3% to 5%, in order to pay the total amount of patent fees. Early 3G mobile phone just came out, the function and equipment is not too much, but now easily equipped with OLED (organic light emitting diode) panel, high Capacity memory, metal chassis and dual lens and other parts, pushing up the price of mobile phones, together included in the number of patent fees granted by Qualcomm, of course, controversial.
Apple iPhone, for example, iPhone 6 price of more than 700 US dollars, but recently announced the iPhone X price is up to 1,000 US dollars, the latter reason for your $ 300, because the new face recognition and other innovative features, even if (300 × 3.5% = 10.5), dare to the world's most powerful mobile phone leading factory Apple charge this royalties, probably only high-pass there are more than 10 yuan (300 × 3.5% = 10.5) This ability.
But also because of this large base of patent billing, so that Qualcomm's patent revenue rose year after year, and are astronomical figures last year, the world's smart phone sales of 1.5 billion, Qualcomm and every one mobile phone brands have signed, or even In recent years, Qualcomm is a patent fee income of up to 7 billion to 8 billion US dollars, almost all net profit, as to sell IC to make money, accounting for only 25% of all net profit.
However, many people will find it strange, why so unreasonable charges, Qualcomm can receive a collection of 10 years, and continue to get so much money? One of the biggest key is that Qualcomm master the key parts of the mobile phone chip, so Qualcomm asked the mobile phone factory if not signed an authorization contract, it does not supply the chip, that is, the so-called "no license, no chips." Mobile phone no chip can not ship, and finally can only be forced to sign this unfair contract.
Highlighting Qualcomm patent fees unreasonable another control group, you can from the old telecommunications manufacturers Ericsson, Nokia to analyze these manufacturers have a lot of 3G and 4G patents, but also to telecommunications equipment and mobile phone manufacturers to collect royalties, but Ericsson only received $ 100 million, only one-ninth of Qualcomm, the key reason is that Ericsson does not supply mobile phone chips, did not take Qualcomm "No license, no chips" approach, and the patent alone to the customer money, more likely to be bargain customers.
This unfair competition, the formation of mobile phone chip is very special industrial ecology, that is, "all manufacturers are dead, only a big money." A mobile phone company executives said that in the past 2G mobile phone era, because Qualcomm did not Special patent, the development of the chip industry is like a hundred schools of thought contend, but after entering the 3G has been a big change, the formation of a dominant situation, and "a company to make big money, other companies have been eliminated."
Counter - monopoly of the Sino - Korean sacrifice
The director of the alleged status quo, is the current high-pass big money, MediaTek make a little money, but the Intel mobile phone sector has been a loss for many years, last year, a large loss of 800 million US dollars, Spreadtrum, Huawei is also losing money, as a very strong industry such as Broadcom (Broadcom), Marvell, NVIDIA (nVidia) and Sony Ericsson and other manufacturers, have been out of the market.
In fact, from the previous year, including mainland China, South Korea have successively resorted to high-pass anti-monopoly sanctions, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) earlier this year to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) The United States California court sued Qualcomm to engage in market monopoly behavior immediately following the announcement of the Taiwan Fair, the EU is now in full swing in the investigation, indicating that Qualcomm has caused the world's public outrage.
China and South Korea on the improvement of Qualcomm penalties, to take a different approach.For a large number of mobile phone brands in mainland China, the Development and Reform Commission asked Qualcomm originally to the entire mobile phone 3% to 5% for the patent cost model, 65 fold, therefore, the mainland mobile phone brands such as Huawei, OPPO, Vivo, millet, Lenovo and other industry, you can immediately enjoy the above treatment.
However, South Korea is taking a more drastic approach, that is, directly require Qualcomm from the original mobile pricing model, instead of chip pricing basis.
Samsung's annual sales of 300 million mobile phones, each one has to pay royalties to Qualcomm, the amount is very large, if Samsung's own production of mobile phone chip can directly obtain Qualcomm authorization to pay a certain ratio of authorized fees, you can negotiate with Qualcomm Mobile phone license fee, because the price of mobile phone chip is only one-tenth of a mobile phone, and sometimes even only one-twentieth, so the patent costs must be significantly reduced, the Samsung must be more cost-effective.
In South Korea's fairness, the use of two patents is a very basic concept, one is "standards for wireless communications standards" (standards-patents, SEPs), the other is "fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (Fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory, FRAND).
Qualcomm has the obligation to let these SEPs license to compete with the industry, and must take FRAND's commitment to ensure that the high-end SEPs, which are 3G and 4G wireless communications products, can not avoid the standard patent, in order to promote fair competition and sustainable development of the industry Fair and reasonable conditions, equally unanimously authorized to all wireless communications standards used by the industry.
Full combat of the apple bar high pass
Therefore, at the beginning of the year, the US FTC (US Federal Trade Commission) filed a complaint against Qualcomm, pointing out that Qualcomm's alleged use of baseband chip supply dominance, forcing smartphone or electronics manufacturers to accept unreasonable SEPs license terms, Punish the use of Qualcomm competitors (such as Intel) to supply the parties to the chip, and refused to comply with the FRAND authorized commitment to the key necessary patents to the same industry competitors, thereby hindering market competition, hinder commodity interoperability, technological innovation activities and consumer rights The
Not only the government face up to Qualcomm's monopoly and unfair competition means, Apple earlier in the United States, California sued Qualcomm, referring to its exclusive mobile phone chip market patent fees, because Apple is through its Foundry and Qualcomm signed and paid, so the direct request of its four foundries such as Hon Hai, and Shuo and other refused to pay, so far the outstanding patent fees have been accumulated to 2 billion US dollars, Apple ruthless strokes, is to force the high-pass Negotiated on the negotiating table to reduce patent fees
3, Apple filed an appeal to overturn $ 506 million chip patent infringement verdict;
In July, US judges ruled that Apple violated a chip efficiency patent at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, ruling Apple's compensation of $ 506 million, and now Apple's The verdict filed an appeal.
As early as 2015, Apple was found to have violated the University of Wisconsin chip efficiency patent, was told that the amount of compensation may be as high as $ 862 million.Then, the court that Apple did not intentionally violate the patent, the amount of compensation reduced to 234 million However, since Apple continues to violate the patent after the verdict, the court has increased the amount of compensation to $ 506 million.
Now, Apple appealed against the verdict, claiming that the ruling was 'wrong everywhere.' Apple told the US Federal Circuit Court of Appeals that the Wisconsin federal court found that Apple violated the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) held a computer Processor patent, and asked Apple to compensate 506 million US dollars, the verdict 'everywhere is wrong', must be overturned.
Apple argues that the jury verdict and the post-trial verdict in the Wisconsin Western Court are almost flawed in all respects, from the results of the infringement investigation to the validity of the WARF's deliberate exaggeration claims.
Wisconsin Western District Court ruled that the Apple iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and a variety of iPad used A7, A8 and A8X chips are a violation of the WARF patent.Apple had wanted to challenge the validity of the patent, but the US patent and The Trademark Office rejected Apple's request for a reevaluation of the validity of the patent.
3, Qualcomm counterclaim Apple: seeking the court to prohibit iPhone production and sales in China;
Qualcomm and Apple's resentment behind the scenes of disputes Li Zhenghao
The war between big companies and the same as the big country diplomacy.
Recently, Apple in the Beijing Intellectual Property Court sued Qualcomm, asked the court to confirm that Apple supports 3G / UMTS, 4G / LTE iPhone and iPad products, do not infringe Qualcomm in China to apply for ZL200380108677.7 and other three patents. The company made a response to the Beijing Intellectual Property Court to determine Apple infringement, and to seek the court to prohibit the iPhone in China production and sales.This is Qualcomm and Apple since the beginning of 2017 patent war marathon since the new round of the plot.
Outside the court, Ookla, the US well-known speed website, confirmed that the latest release of the iPhone 8 Plus comes in two models, corresponding to the Qualcomm baseband and Intel baseband, and the test shows that the iPhone 8 Plus with Qualcomm baseband is superior in performance. At the same time, business has to go on.
For a new round of mutual complaints, Qualcomm China spokesman in an interview with "China Business" reporter, said: 'Qualcomm in order to safeguard their legitimate interests, had to be forced to exercise the legitimate rights and interests to maintain their reasonable demands.' Apple A company spokesman said: 'We believe (Qualcomm) this latest legal action will fail.'
Li Junhui, a researcher at the Center for Intellectual Property Research at China University of Political Science and Law, believes that Apple is based on its own interests and is using its own advantages to challenge various basic systems, models and mechanisms. The litigation is in fact hope that the court will confirm infringement and disassemble Qualcomm Authorized business model based on the mobile phone China Union Secretary-General Wang Yanhui that: 'Qualcomm Apple mutual complaints, easy to file, trial out the results are more difficult.
A new round of each other
Recently, the Beijing Intellectual Property Court official WeChat public No. 'know the production of Beijing' disclosure, the hospital has accepted Apple, Apple Electronics (Beijing) Co., Ltd. sued Qualcomm to confirm the case of non-infringement of patent disputes. For a method and apparatus entitled & quot; Method and apparatus for data transmission over a reverse link in a telecommunication system & quot ;, numbered ZL200380108677.7, entitled & quot; Efficient Transmit Signal via Access Channel & quot ;, numbered ZL200580031592.2 ; A device entitled "Device for retransmission of signals in a communication system", numbered ZL01809657.3.
Apple also claimed that based on the iPhone and iPad and other products meet the relevant wireless communication standards, Qualcomm has made a clear infringement of the patent infringement to Apple, Apple also urged the high traffic lawsuits, but until Apple sued, Qualcomm did not mention this Sui-hui analysis, which means that Apple recognized the iPhone and iPad using Qualcomm's patent, Qualcomm also prompted Apple suspected of infringement, but Qualcomm has not prosecuted Apple, Apple hopes Qualcomm quickly sue themselves, so choose to sue the court to confirm that they do not Infringement.
Apple's suit was accepted, Qualcomm responded to the Beijing Intellectual Property Court filed three lawsuit, accused Apple infringement of Qualcomm in China's three non-standard essential patents, and apply for the ban on iPhone production and sales in China.
"The patent is a high-pass technology outside the cellular wireless communications technology." Qualcomm China told the "China Business" reporter, which covers' technology that uses Apple's own iPhone products to extend battery life, iPhone 'Force Touch' function related technology.
Li Junhui that, because Apple is Qualcomm's big customers, even in the lawsuit, the two sides did not interrupt the cooperation, so the face of Apple's attack, Qualcomm has been QUALCOMM China has admitted that Qualcomm's counterclaim against Apple's lawsuit in China.
After Qualcomm's counterclaim, Apple said in a public statement: 'We have been willing to pay fair and reasonable prices for the patents we use, but these patents have never been discussed in our many years of negotiations with Qualcomm.' In this case, Qualcomm spokeswoman Christine Trimble said: 'Apple uses Qualcomm to invent the technology, but did not pay for it.'
Gradually upgrade the patent war
Apple and Qualcomm have been working for many years.Apple has been developed for the iPhone A series of processors, such as the latest iPhone 8 series is already A11 bionic processor.However, in the smart phone processor, the core is the baseband chip, baseband chip can be said Is the 'CPU in the CPU', because the baseband chip is responsible for mobile phone and base station communication. IPhone was originally used Infineon baseband, but from the iPhone 4 series, Apple introduced Qualcomm's baseband, greatly enhance the performance of the iPhone The
Qualcomm has exclusive of the fifth generation, sixth generation iPhone series of baseband orders.However, the baseband is also a high cost of smart phones one of the components.Apple has been trying to reduce the cost of baseband, but also want to reduce Qualcomm's patent licensing fee But has been with the high-pass negotiations.However, the sale of chips and patent licensing is Qualcomm's two main business, if Apple to reduce costs, but also must be no difference to all mobile phone manufacturers price.In order to adhere to their business model, Qualcomm refused with Apple compromise.
So, from the iPhone 7 series began, Apple introduced Intel's baseband.At the same time, Apple also successfully poached Qualcomm executives, ready to develop their own baseband chip.However, according to the United States well-known dismantling site exposure content, Intel baseband and Qualcomm baseband performance There is a certain gap, in order to ensure the performance of the iPhone 7 consistency, Apple and even 'castrated' part of the function of the high-pass baseband. This incident last year caused a great uproar.
According to media disclosure, in order to persuade Qualcomm to give in the South Korean regulators on Qualcomm's antitrust investigation, Apple is the 'behind the trader', combined with the South Korean government to promote Qualcomm $ 854 million anti-monopoly penalty. Said the high-pass to the US regulatory authorities to submit the document claimed that Apple and Samsung executives in the United States in 2015 Sun Valley meeting conspiracy against Qualcomm, Apple executives asked Samsung 'proactive', because the Korean antitrust investigation is' let Qualcomm down patent The best chance of licensing fees'.
Relevant media also disclosed that Apple's clarification of US regulators said, 'Apple was just said to Samsung,' you are living in South Korea, should be cautious about this case ', this is just a common dialogue between the two CEO.' Samsung is this Things kept silent.
Related media analysis that is due to the identification of Apple, Samsung conspired to promote the Korean government's own antitrust investigation, Qualcomm then decided to no longer return to Apple to buy Qualcomm baseband chip royalties part, and this is the January 2017 Apple sued Qualcomm in the California Southern District Court for direct reasons, because Apple's appeal was to appeal to the California court that Qualcomm returned $ 1 billion in royalties and lowered future royalties.
Since then, Apple and Qualcomm's patent war out of control. Reporters comb found that the official stage of the proceedings so far 9 months, basically Apple 'first card', Qualcomm was forced to deal with the situation; 2017 1 ~ 4 Month, Apple non-stop in the United States, China, Britain, Germany and other countries and regions around the world to launch a lawsuit in Qualcomm, April 2017, according to media reports, Apple has instigated suppliers refused to pass Qualcomm's patent licensing fees, War on the more prosperous; to 2010 on April 10 Qualcomm in the United States California Southern District Court counterclaim Apple as a symbol, Qualcomm and Apple in a number of countries around the world into the stage of mutual action.
In particular, Qualcomm in the United States to prosecute Apple 'part of the iPhone model infringed its six patents and requested the US International Trade Commission (ITC) to Apple in Asia assembled iPhone released' limited exclusion order ', prohibit iPhone sold in the United States, advertising show , Marketing and warehousing activities', and this time in China to seek to prohibit the production and sale of iPhone, the two sides seem to start the 'bayonet see red' the.
Qualcomm China has told reporters stressed: 'Apple has been using Qualcomm's intellectual property, but refused and postponed to the high-pass payment of patent licensing fees, infringement of Qualcomm's patented technology. And in order to cover the nature of the press supplier, Apple also first provoked the incident, unilaterally stop paying the patent license fee, the termination of its contract obligations should be fulfilled.
Final outcome or reconciliation
Apple and Qualcomm gradually upgrade the patent war, is intensifying both sides of the lose-lose.
For Apple, in order to force Qualcomm to make concessions, iPhone 7 series has been the introduction of Intel baseband, but the fact that this is a choice for their own brand of injury, while the latest launch of the iPhone 8 series of products, Apple further enhance the Intel baseband Of the purchase share.
However, the speed website Ookla disclosed that the US version of the iPhone 8 Plus has two versions, one supports the Qualcomm X16 Gigabit 4G baseband chip, one supports the Intel XMM7480 baseband chip, the Intel baseband can support up to LTE Cat.9 450Mbps download speed, For the two versions of the iPhone 8 Plus performance to solve, Apple cut off the Qualcomm X16 originally supported 4 × 4MIMO antenna, so the highest rate of high-pass baseband theory into the 800Mbps. Despite this, 'measured, the high-pass baseband iPhone 8 Plus the most prominent performance of the Inter baseband iPhone 8 Plus and the previous generation iPhone 7 Plus (Qualcomm baseband version) similar to the Ookla measured report shows that with the iPhone 8 series of production and sales, similar to last year's iPhone 7 Different versions of the different performance of the criticism is likely to re-appear.
Qualcomm, due to the largest customer Apple refused to patent licensing fees, Qualcomm's operating income this year will be reduced at the same time, Qualcomm shares this year has been in the shock down the channel.
Despite this, a number of industry insiders interview analysis, because Apple and Qualcomm in the past have had a lot of similar lawsuit, and ultimately reconciliation, so Apple and Qualcomm's final outcome may be reconciliation, for example, over the past few years , Apple and Ericsson, Nokia and Qualcomm and Samsung, Meizu and other patent disputes occurred, and ultimately reconciliation.
Perhaps because of this, Qualcomm executive vice president and general counsel Donald Rosenberg said in an interview with reporters: 'than the lawsuit, we prefer to negotiate through commercial negotiations or consultations to solve the problem.Of course, in view of Apple in We are attacking us all over the world, and in this case we can not sit still and have to respond.
Qualcomm CEO Steve Morankov recently in WSJ D.Live Technology Conference is clearly that he believes that Apple and Qualcomm one day to shake hands and words, 'I think we can spend this period, we and Apple have Strong product contact. We sometimes disagree, but our contact is still very wide. 'China Business News
Set micro-network launched integrated circuit WeChat common number: 'every day IP', cutting-edge patent dynamic release, every day IP, set micro-network every day, plot micro-forming! Scan the end of the two-dimensional code to add attention.