Qualcomm is targeting companies that manufacture Apple products in an attempt to recover royalty payments.
Qualcomm has sued Foxconn, Pegatron, Wistron, and Compal Electronics for patent fees since Apple is not paying them. Apple is withholding about $1 billion in royalties from Qualcomm after it sued the company in January for overcharging for patents and technology licenses.
“While not disputing their contractual obligations to pay for the use of Qualcomm’s inventions, the manufacturers say they must follow Apple’s instructions not to pay,” said Qualcomm in a statement.
Apple said it will support its suppliers until the dispute with Qualcomm is resolved. Qualcomm is being sued by the FTC, Apple, and other companies over its patent-licensing practices. The FTC says Qualcomm’s business practices may violate antitrust laws.
