A US trade judge ruled Tuesday that Apple had violated a Qualcomm
chipmaker patent and said she would recommend banning imports of some iPhones.
International Trade Commission Administrative Law Judge MaryJoan McNamara wrote that she would be recommending a “limited exclusion order together with a cease and desist order” against Apple.
The company will not be required to post a bond while the order is reviewed by a panel of judges and then possibly US President Donald Trump because the iPhones don’t directly compete with any Qualcomm products, according to the ruling.
“We appreciate Judge McNamara’s recognition of Apple’s infringement of our hardware patent and that she will be recommending an import ban and cease and desist order,” Qualcomm general counsel Don Rosenberg said in released statement.
The patent at issue in the ruling involved managing power and extending battery life. The case is one of two complaints by Qualcomm against Apple the commission is considering.