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1. Qualcomm and Apple and other giants to rub large royalties or will be loosened;
And Apple and other giants friction Qualcomm high patent fees loose
Newspaper reporter Chen Baoliang Beijing report
Reading
With Samsung, Huawei has started to adopt Intel chips, and the dominance of Qualcomm chips has been slipping. Chip order churn, which is Qualcomm, Apple has rubbed off and caused Apple and its supply chain and Qualcomm to launch a global lawsuit in the fuse.
' America's patents are priced too high, such as Qualcomm, which is 10 times times that of other companies. ' November 23, the National Intellectual Property Research Institute released a senior vice president of Huawei, chief legal Officer Song's speech content, song analysis, ' The U.S. FTC investigation and Apple and Qualcomm litigation, will play a world rule, Qualcomm's royalties will be lowered. '
The speech took place on September 16, 2017. At the time, Qualcomm had just disclosed to the financial communication, ' because of the lawsuit against Apple, another global handset giant has unilaterally refused to pay royalties to Qualcomm. ' Most of the industry has speculated that the giant is Huawei, but Huawei has never responded to this rumor.
In the consumer-level market, Qualcomm is famous for ' chip Giants '. But in fact, chip technology accounted for less than 10% per cent of the total Qualcomm technology accumulation, Qualcomm is a true communications technology company, and since the 2G era has long been a leader in communication standards. But unlike Ericsson, Huawei and Nokia, which communicate with the Giants, Qualcomm does not produce communications equipment, but rather to the communications equipment company, the terminal manufacturer of output technology, through a patented licensing method to reap returns.
By relying on huge patent accumulation, Qualcomm has become the world's largest patent company. Since the IPO, Qualcomm's 1999-2017-year 19 fiscal year, the total patent licensing income of 71.649 billion U.S. dollars, an annual average of $3.771 billion.
Also as a communications patent giant, Ericsson announced royalties from 2001, and 2001-2016 royalties earned $13.177 billion, less than Qualcomm $number. With 6000-7000 U.S. patents each year, IBM, which has become the most patented company in the United States for more than 20 years, has a total of $13.767 billion in patent licensing and patent sales over a 1999-2016-year period, also less than Qualcomm $number.
In fiscal 2015, Qualcomm patented revenues peaked at $7.947 billion. This year, according to the well-known Market research institute GfK Statistics, the global smartphone total income is 395.25 billion U.S. dollars, Qualcomm patented fee skim 2%.
After the fiscal year 2015, Qualcomm suffered multiple antitrust penalties, patent lawsuits, patent fees declined slightly, but still in 2016, 2017 of the fiscal year, respectively, income of 7.664 billion U.S. dollars, 6.445 billion U.S. dollars. And, according to Qualcomm's forecast, in 2020, patent revenues amounted to $10 billion.
Huge royalties
In China, the overall profit of domestic handsets may not be as high as the royalties paid to Qualcomm.
Global smartphone operating profit was $53.772 billion in 2016, with Apple earning $49.997 billion and Samsung profit of $8.312 billion, according to Strategy Analytics, a market-research agency. Domestically-made handsets, Huawei profit of 929 million U.S. dollars, oppo profit of 851 million U.S. dollars, vivo profit of 732 million U.S. dollars.
In 2016, Huawei, ov total profit of 2.512 billion U.S. dollars, taking into account such as TCL, ZTE, Lenovo and other sustained loss of mobile phone brands, the entire domestic mobile phone profits will be less than $2.5 billion.
But this year, according to Qualcomm in early 2016 analysis forecasts, the Chinese handset manufacturers overall handset sales of $82.9 billion, of which 3 models of mobile phones 17.2 billion U.S. dollars, multimode mobile phones 65.7 billion U.S. dollars, but there is a 25% under-reporting rate. According to the NDRC's rectification requirements for Qualcomm in February 2015, on the basis of the mobile phone net price of 65%, Qualcomm 3-mode mobile phone patent rate 3.5%, 5-mode mobile phone rate 5%, in order to calculate, Qualcomm 2016 in China's patent fee is not less than 1.873 billion U.S. dollars, accounting for the total royalty income of about In 2015, the NDRC imposed a $970 million fine on Qualcomm, which accounted for only 50% of Qualcomm's patent-fee revenues in China in 2016.
Of course, if the remaining 25% of the mobile phone also truthfully pay royalties, Qualcomm in China should receive a patent fee of $2.526 billion. And, given that domestic handsets sold overseas do not enjoy discounts, Qualcomm's actual royalties from domestic handset companies will be higher than that.
2015 years later, Qualcomm is increasing its investment in China in order to increase licensing revenues in the region, while initiating lawsuits against those who do not pay royalties, and hiring a large number of firms to audit the firm's sales data to reduce ' under-reporting '.
Of course, in addition to patent fees, the 2016 fiscal year, Qualcomm from the mainland region income of 13.503 billion U.S. dollars, the total income ratio of up to 57.33%.
' So, in 2015, after the high pass antitrust case, we all feel that Qualcomm is the biggest beneficiary, ' a number of insiders told reporters: ' The patent fee is only played 65 percent, but before the company does not pay royalties, now can only be seriously paid. '
By contrast, other patent companies are rare in the Chinese market. Has filed a lawsuit against Samsung worldwide, and Huawei, which has signed a weaker mandate with Apple, has ' never filed a lawsuit against domestic handset makers '. Patent giant Ericsson in the domestic patent fees are also very worrying, mobile phone industry people told reporters: ' Qualcomm's money, can be dragged, but certainly have to pay, and no talk. But Ericsson's patent fees, dragged to the end of the lawsuit. '
Fundamentals of the business model
Of course, Qualcomm's technology reserves and patent quality is far ahead, but this is not Qualcomm can levy perennial patent fees the only reason.
At present, Qualcomm has more than 130,000 patents, involving all mobile communications technology, mobile phones, chips, images, audio and other fields, including the chip patent accounted for less than 10%, the vast majority of telecommunications patents, and cover most of the technical field of mobile phones, which is Qualcomm to the whole machine as the basis for patent charges.
130,000 patents, including more than 22,000 PCT patents. Because the patent value often needs through a large number of judicial decisions, difficult to directly measure, but the industry generally adopted the number of patents cited, the number of claims, kin, technical characteristics and other elements to analyze the quality of patents.
Through the World Intellectual Property WIPO Database search analysis PCT patent, to Qualcomm, Ericsson, Huawei Patent quality comparison, Qualcomm patent average rights requirements of 35.97, Ericsson, Huawei respectively 22.1, 12.97, while Qualcomm's patent kin 15.41, after the two respectively 6.38, 3.12, the two standards Qualcomm Big lead; From the patent cited number analysis, Qualcomm Patent average reference number is 3.7, Ericsson, Huawei respectively 4.73, 0.64, because the industry early Qualcomm Independent support CDMA technology, industry players less, Qualcomm patent reference number is lower than Ericsson.
At the same time, Qualcomm's multiple patent elements are better than Ericsson, but the gap is far from the income gap. Ericsson's patent revenue of $1.17 billion in 2016, Qualcomm's patent revenue of $6.445 billion in 2017, is 5.5 times times that of Ericsson. In the same period, Ericsson's spending on research and development was much higher than Qualcomm's. In 2001-2016, Ericsson spent a total of $67.1 billion on research and development, compared with $46.8 billion in the 2002 fiscal year-2017.
The core of the gap lies in the business model. Qualcomm early development, has also produced communications equipment, mobile phones, but this is mainly because the CDMA industry chain only Qualcomm itself, Qualcomm in order to verify the maturity of the industry, must undertake the whole industry chain work.
But after the CDMA industry chain matures, Qualcomm sold mobile phones, communications equipment business, began to specialize in highly difficult chip business, so that the mobile phone industry can keep up with the 3G, 4G Network Technology Update Rhythm, in 3G, 4G business early, handset manufacturers launched the first mobile phones are using Qualcomm chip. And, so far, including Apple, Samsung's high-end flagship machine is still mainly using Qualcomm chip.
But for a long time, Qualcomm chip business and patent business bundled, buy chips before the first to sign a patent license agreement, Qualcomm's chip is the handset manufacturer competition the most critical factor, which is high Qualcomm patent fees far higher than Ericsson's root cause. By contrast, in addition to the law, Ericsson has no other means of guaranteeing patent revenues.
Ericsson sued Millet in India in 2014, but there has been little progress in the case for 3 years. Even millet and Qualcomm's patent authorization helped to remove the ' pre-sale ban ' for Ericsson.
The rebound of Apple
The standard opening of the communication industry has formed the global unified industry chain, Qualcomm, Ericsson, Huawei and other company standard patent Open, also made such as millet, OPPO, the charm of the company and other companies to save tens of billions of dollars of communications technology research and development spending, instead of paying the patent licensing fees.
However, patent fees for all companies are almost closed. At the beginning of 2016 Qualcomm and domestic handset manufacturers have signed a patent licensing agreement, there are mobile phone companies told reporters: ' No one knows how much the other people pay, pay more on the loss, so drag a few days, can be less to pay a certain amount. '
Now, with the FTC's investigation of Qualcomm, Apple and Qualcomm's global lawsuit, the opportunity to "less".
Throughout the 3G, 4G period, Intel missed the entire mobile market, Ericsson, Bo Tong, Marvell has closed the communications business, Qualcomm's communications chip almost a ride of dust, competitors only MediaTek, two companies. Qualcomm maintains absolute control over the high-end chip market, and the chip is not selling at a high price. According to the 2017 financial year Q4 earnings, Qualcomm Chip business gross margin is only 21%, chip gross margin of $976 million, while the patent business margin of up to 68%, gross margin of 825 million U.S. dollars, patent business contribution of 45% profit. In contrast, MediaTek, the low-end market, has been able to maintain a 30%-40% chip gross margin.
Obviously, Qualcomm through the lower margin to improve chip competitiveness, and long-term planning control chip gross margin of less than 20%, and the patent business gross margin of more than 80% future planning, will contribute to the main profit.
But with Samsung, Huawei has started to adopt Intel chips, and the dominance of the Qualcomm chip is slipping. Chip order churn, which is Qualcomm, Apple has rubbed off and caused Apple and its supply chain and Qualcomm to launch a global lawsuit in the fuse. Other end-manufacturers are also looking for ' more reasonable ' royalties.
Samsung's patent war with Apple dates back to 2010 and is still ongoing. And the desire to change patent fees through litigation may also take a long wait. During this period, 5G may be a chance for high throughput reversal.
If Qualcomm is still able to launch an absolutely leading chip product in 5G commercial, Qualcomm still has the right to speak when it comes to patent fees. And that's why, in the 2017 fiscal year, though, Qualcomm's revenues fell by 1%, and profits shrank by more than 50%, but it still raised its research and development investment close to 7%. And, in the current 5G drive, the high throughput that is running against time is clearly the most expected 5G to be commercially available as soon as possible. 21st Century Economic Report
2.digitimes:hock Tan throws the wind ball to abolish the high pass tax, the period save the big customer apple;
If Broadcom's $100 billion takeover of the rival Qualcomm (QUALCOMM), which is the largest ever together in the global semiconductor industry, is probably not enough to describe its impact, But the key battleground in the hundreds of billions of dollars in the purchase and Qualcomm case is the fact that the company is going to fix Qualcomm's current embattled patent-licensing business model (authorized business units). Hock Tan, the message's chief executive, has thrown the wind away, deliberately abandoning the past ' high-pass tax ' approach, which will win back the support of key customers, including Apple, Samsung Electronics (Samsung Electronics), Huawei, etc. will also wipe out the future of the acquisition Qualcomm must pass through the regulatory agencies to examine obstacles. Hock Tan proposed to abolish the high-pass tax, the patent authorization in chip pricing according to San Diego Union-tribune, a report by Reuters and other media reports, and after exchanging views with the Bo Tong management team, including investors, Bernstein Research analyst Stacy Rasgon said he believes that CEO Hock Tan intends to repeal the previously Qualcomm licensing business model of patenting and chips as two different products, and, correspondingly, Tan's strategy will include patent licensing in chip pricing, So that the smartphone industry, including Apple, has to pay only once. Admittedly, this is bound to make Qualcomm's original authorized revenue greatly reduced, but Tan will also be with the first-line smartphone industry, such as large customers to sign a long-term chip supply contract, to make up for the shrinking revenue source, at the same time, the ever-vigorous hock tan will also come up with their own talents, The cost of cutting costs, such as executive and research fees, is estimated at $3 billion, to fill shortfalls in revenue. Over the past 10 years, with the explosion of smartphone sales around the world, Qualcomm's patent authority has been trading at nearly $8 billion a year, until regulators set off antitrust investigations and big client lawsuits in recent years. Some smartphone makers are annoyed by the practice of stripping a cow of a two-layer skin, and they are forced to pay a patent right out of the purchase chip. Apple, for example, stopped paying Qualcomm rights in early 2017 and filed a lawsuit against Qualcomm in January, arguing that its licensing business model violated patent law. At the same time, the global antitrust regulators also believe that Qualcomm's business model, suspected of using its dominant position, forcing smart-phone manufacturers to accept high patent licensing, otherwise afraid of losing Qualcomm chip supply. These licensing disputes from customers and regulators have led to a sharp contraction of Qualcomm's authorized revenue, which, according to the results, has left only $6.4 billion trillion in the fiscal year 2017, hitting more than 80 percent in a row, and a relative impact on Qualcomm's share price, making it an offer. Focus on the return of the big customer heart to the 5G era Cornerstone 2017 will enter the last one months, since the beginning of the year, with Apple and regulators such as South Korea and Taiwan, Qualcomm's attitude has not changed much since its unique licensing business model and the unfair competition controversy it has caused, They think Apple is only going to have a relatively low royalty rate, and the two sides have not yet agreed on the rates, but these events will only be short-lived, and once it's over, it's back on track. However, Hock Tan, who represents a desire to buy Qualcomm, wants to challenge the disruptive logic of high taxes, seemingly saying: Stop daydreaming, Qualcomm embraced the licensing business model has no longer back. Reuters spokesman said early in November that the company believes that global regulators should welcome the proposal to buy Qualcomm, after all, this is the solution to the high-pass tax problem; Hock Tan was more confident that the decision to make the offer was a matter of confidence that the big clients would embrace the proposal with both hands. Is Apple not one of the big clients of both Bo Tong and Qualcomm? Good relationship with Bo Tong, but now with Qualcomm? Hock Tan alluding to the big customers, is not the apple? Even if it is not, it can be speculated that if Hock Tan really succeeds in taking over Qualcomm and abolishing the high pass tax, the period of settlement between Apple and the court is not far away. Why is Bo Tong so eager to acquire Qualcomm? Admittedly, the success of the future acquisition and Qualcomm is not impossible, after all, Hock Tan has accumulated a series of successful complex purchase together: his Anhua in 2016 after the acquisition of the old Bo Tong, the wireless network business sold to Cypress; Although the Brocade case is still under review, Hock Tan has agreed to sell its ruckus wireless. Now, what is the most interesting business that Bo Tong is acquiring Qualcomm? Basically, it should be the smartphone processor and baseband processor chip business is definitely justified, in the global transition to the 5G network, Qualcomm is the first leading group, relatively, if Bo Tong failed to acquire Qualcomm success, the lack of honeycomb-type modem chip product series of Bo Tong, will be impacted in the 5G era. So it seems that Hock tan at this time to abolish the high pass tax practice, compared to the loss of revenue, if it can be replaced by Qualcomm 5G, what is it? Digitimes
3. Can fold the handset return? Apple and Samsung unveil war;
Who will be the leader of a scalable smartphone?
The big manufacturers shout to launch a folding smart phone or a folding screen has been a long, long time, but still is in a only to smell the staircase, please wait for the stage, the folding cell phone in We still hold the era of the non-intelligent mobile phone is very popular, we began to switch A "paper-like, flat-panel smartphone, the folding phone seems to have become an old-fashioned memory of the past, but manufacturers have not forgotten the folded-cell phone, but let the folded-cell phone in a different way to appear
Not only Apple and Samsung, Japan Telecom DoCoMo wants to launch a three-screen folding phone with China's ZTE, Huawei, OPPO and LG have also heard news of a folding smartphone, and, of course, the last year's tech World's Flex screen C Plus
Last year, Lenovo released C Plus
Figure from CNET
Mobile phone manufacturers have been facing a curved screen, folding mobile phone development, the reason probably also with the current smartphone is very popular, but now it seems that the appearance of the phone is similar to the big screen, the whole screen is no longer so attractive to everyone's eyes, hardware technology is also more than the requirements of the software, in this situation, Manufacturers of novelty and change way to let hard equipment can be bent or folded seems to be reasonable .... Everyone is concerned about Apple, found in the two days that they have applied for a folding screen in the United States patent, the patent application content shows that Apple's "iphone" will be divided into two parts, the middle of which will be a folding screen, looks like a book
Pictures from Patentlyapple
Samsung's recent rumored introduction of a folding smart phone is not twice previously introduced the concept of folding mobile phones, and recently Samsung's folding cell phone even the product name of the wind has appeared ── as if to play with Apple to Taiwan called "galaxy x"──, Samsung has already applied for a structural patent for a folding cell phone in South Korea early last year, and recently, when Samsung is due to launch the S9 series next year, the folded-cell phone will also be launched.
Pictures from Letsgodigital
Apple and Samsung have been unable to tell how much progress they have made in making a folding phone in private, but it is expected that there will be a lawsuit against the economy daily in the future after the two sides launch the folded-cell phone
4. Apple applications can be folded into the iphone patent hidden in the big mystery;
Can fold the iphone concept design. (Photo/Flip Tidyform)
The annual Thanksgiving Day (Thanksgiving) has just gone, but it seems that the staff of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (US Patent and trademark) are not taking a leisurely vacation. Foreign media reported that this year Thanksgiving released a global fruit powder is very exciting news, that is, Apple is not without thinking about the possibility of folding the iphone, and in order to pave the way, has submitted the relevant patent applications, the image of the iphone after the iphone x has changed, There is a chance of a full renovation.
Since Apple published its first iphone in 2007, many people have been moulded as a "big touchscreen" for smartphones. But according to recent developments in the main mobile phone factories, "folding mobile phones" may also be the smart phone market for the next two years, a very interesting research and development battlefield. And not just Huawei (Huawei), Samsung has this plan, and Apple (the IPhone) is not lagging behind.
According to the patently Apple website, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office released a patent on Apple this year, including several features of the folding iphone. Includes a piece of the screen that is flexible (can be bent), and is folded along a curved supporting shaft. In addition, the screen material mentioned in the patent contains the LCD screen that Apple has been importing for a long time in the iphone, the first OLED screen used in iphone x, and the microled material that is being developed with TSMC recently.
The exposure of Apple's folding screen patented content in September 2016 is a much more hopeful look for the folding iphone. (Photo/Flip patently Apple)
In addition, the document shows that the patent was submitted as early as September 22, 2016. In other words, before the 2016 iphone 7, Apple had studied the folding screen for a long time, representing Apple's interest in the new field.
The fruit powder can note that Apple has always been conservative in adopting a new technology. After all, each generation of iphone production, sales are quite high, if the technology is not in place, not stable enough, rashly investment is certainly a disaster, but this does not mean that Apple can not catch up. Because of the iphone, IPod, and Apple Watch, Apple has shown a certain degree of "first-Come", which is that they can use their technical advantages to provide consumers with good, and can change the experience of products. As a result, it may not be possible for the iphone to be rolled out sooner than its rivals, but based on the knowledge of Apple's brand history, the fruit powder is more likely to be looking at the actual effects of the folding iphone.
Business Times
5.Waymo prosecution Bestäuber Case Progress judge issued two consecutive orders
Beijing time November 27 Morning news, after receiving some information shared by the U.S. Department of Justice, Waymo v. Bestäuber Tort Trial judge issued a series of orders last week.
William Alsup, a U.S. District Court Judge William Arcoups, disclosed in Wednesday that he had received a letter from the U.S. Attorney general on the case. But Arcoups did not disclose the contents of the letter. The case will be heard in December.
However, Arcoups later addressed some of the details in two orders. He ordered Bestäuber to allow 3 witnesses to attend the last pre-trial hearing in Tuesday, including a bestäuber former security analyst and a lawyer for the company.
The Ministry of Justice rarely shares information with judges before a civil trial.
Arcoups earlier this year asked the federal prosecutors to investigate whether the case was a criminal offence of stealing trade secrets. The investigation is handled by the Intellectual property Department of the U.S. Attorney's office in Northern California, according to people familiar with the deal. But no charges have been filed.
Waymo, Bestäuber and US Department of Justice spokesmen declined to comment. The aforementioned Bestäuber security analysts have yet to respond.
Bestäuber sued Waymo Anthony Levandoski, the former senior executive, in February, to download the company's more than 14,000 confidential documents prior to his departure from Levandowski, the company, which was soon bought by Otto.
Bestäuber denies using any trade secrets of Waymo. Levandoski refused to answer questions related to the case.
Since the start of the case, Bestäuber said the company's personnel spent thousands of hours querying servers and other communications equipment, but did not find Waymo's trade secrets.
In an order issued in Friday, he referred to bestäuber security analysts and some of the ' equipment ' maintained by Bestäuber in connection with the letter from the United States Department of Justice.
Arcoups asked Bestäuber to disclose whether they had searched the equipment for evidence related to the case. Sina Technology