MUNICH: US chipmaker Qualcomm took steps to enforce a court order banning the sale of some iPhone models in Germany following a patent dispute, a move that will likely see Apple Inc. pull those models from its German stores.
A spokesman for Gravis, Germany’s biggest reseller of Apple products which is owned by telecoms company Freenet, said on Friday that it still had all Apple products on sale, including the iPhone 7 and 8 models.
The German case is Qualcomm’s third major effort to secure a ban on Apple’s lucrative iPhones over patent infringement allegations after similar moves in the United States and China, and is part of a global patent spat between the two companies.
Qualcomm posted bonds of €1.34 billion ($1.5 billion) on Thursday, as required for the German court order to come into effect. The court found on Dec. 20 that Apple had infringed Qualcomm patents on power-saving technology used in smartphones.
Apple said in a statement after the verdict last month that it would pull iPhone 7 and 8 models from its own 15 retail stores in Germany during an appeal process once the order came into force. However, it also said it would continue to offer all of its phones at thousands of retail and carrier locations across Germany, a direct contradiction to Qualcomm’s interpretation of the order.
A spokeswoman for the Munich regional court told Reuters on Friday that Apple had appealed the court’s Dec. 20 ruling.
Apple, which had also said it planned to appeal the court decision, declined to comment on Qualcomm’s most recent move on Friday, only referring to its statement after the verdict.
According to the court order, Apple has to stop the sale, offer for sale and importation for sale of all infringing iPhones in Germany.
The court also ordered Apple to recall the affected iPhones from third-party resellers in Germany, according to a statement by Qualcomm.
Kai Ruting, a German lawyer not involved in the case, said the court order was directed at Apple entities rather than third parties.
“These third parties are still free to sell the (affected) iPhones, and they sell the majority of iPhones,” Ruting said, adding, “the question of a settlement will be driven by the US litigation and not the German case.”
Ruting said that Apple had strong arguments for the German court’s ruling to be reversed on appeal. If that happens, Qualcomm’s bond will be used to compensate Apple, he said.
Apple’s announced intention to pull iPhones from stores in Germany contrasts with how it has handled a court decision in China, where there was a much broader ban on iPhone sales after a court ruled the devices violated Qualcomm’s patents. Apple has continued to sell phones in China, saying it believed its phones were legal in the country.
Still, Apple also pushed a software update to address concerns over whether it was in compliance with Chinese courts.
Qualcomm has said those software updates were insufficient and that Apple must still withdraw its phones. Apple had filed a request for the Chinese court to reconsider its decision, but no outcome has been announced.
Qualcomm enforces ban to halt some Apple iPhone sales in Germany
Qualcomm enforces ban to halt some Apple iPhone sales in Germany
- Gravis, Germany’s biggest reseller of Apple products, said on Friday that it still had all Apple products on sale
Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in red at 10,847
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index dipped on Wednesday, losing 58.51 points, or 0.54 percent, to close at 10,847.93.
The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR3.78 billion ($1 billion), as 73 of the listed stocks advanced, while 187 retreated.
The MSCI Tadawul Index decreased, down 7.09 points or 0.48 percent, to close at 1,472.98.
The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu lost 178.75 points, or 0.77 percent, to close at 22,916.83. This comes as 30 of the listed stocks advanced, while 37 retreated.
The best-performing stock was the Power and Water Utility Co. for Jubail and Yanbu, with its share price surging by 8.47 percent to SR31.24.
Other top performers included Saudi Paper Manufacturing Co., which saw its share price rise by 6.13 percent to SR53.70, and Jamjoom Pharmaceuticals Factory Co., which saw a 4.58 percent increase to SR137.
On the downside, the worst performer of the day was CHUBB Arabia Cooperative Insurance Co., whose share price fell by 5.14 percent to SR17.53.
Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co. and Arabian Internet and Communications Services Co. also saw declines, with their shares dropping by 4.87 percent and 4.43 percent to SR4.88 and SR181.40, respectively.
On the announcement front, Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co. announced its annual financial results for 2025, with sales dropping 3.06 percent year-on-year to SR8.45 billion. The company also recorded a net loss of SR893.86 million.
In a Tadawul statement, the company said the net loss and decline in annual sales were driven by a drop in average selling prices, despite higher sales volumes.
