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China: iPhone import and sale ban over Qualcomm dispute

 |  December 10, 2018

Apple has issued a statement, however, saying that “all iPhone models remain available for our customers in China.”

The court has banned the import and sale of nearly all iPhone models in China, according to a statement Monday, December 10, from Qualcomm. Apple is already disputing the scope of the ban, claiming it only applies to iPhones that run on an older operating system.

“Qualcomm’s effort to ban our products is another desperate move by a company whose illegal practices are under investigation by regulators around the world,” Apple announced in a statement. “All iPhone models remain available for our customers in China. Qualcomm is asserting three patents they had never raised before, including one which has already been invalidated. We will pursue all our legal options through the courts.”

Qualcomm said the Fuzhou Intermediate People’s Court in China found Apple had infringed on two patents: one related to photo editing and another to swipingon a touch-screen device.

The court order barring import and sales covers the iPhone X, 8, 7 and 6 models. It didn’t include Apple’s newest devices, the XS, XS Max and XR, because those models weren’t on the market when the patent case was filed.

The preliminary injunction is the latest turn in a long-running legal dispute between Apple and Qualcomm. The San Diego chip company has brought more than a dozen cases against Apple over patent infringement in China over the past two years.

Full Content: CNBC

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