Apple on Wednesday filed a countersuit against chipmaker Qualcomm, escalating the legal battle between the two companies to new heights.
In the suit, Apple contends that Qualcomm's Snapdragon mobile processors infringe on patents owned by Apple. Reuters, first to report on the countersuit, highlights Apple's claim that it owns "at least" eight battery life patents that Qualcomm has violated.
The patents specifically involve things like improving sleep and wake functions, turning off parts of the processor when they aren't needed and ensuring that each aspect of a phone's processor draws the minimum amount of power needed, all of which lead to improved battery life. Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 and 820 chips were mentioned by name.
According to Apple's suit, it began seeking the patents years before Qualcomm began seeking the patents it asserts in its suit against Apple.
The Cupertino-based company is seeking unspecified damages in the countersuit.
Apple and Qualcomm have spent the better part of 2017 waging war against each other in courts around the globe.
Qualcomm earlier this year, if you recall, filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple and asked the International Trade Commission (ITC) to ban the import of select iPhones (those that use Intel wireless chips) into the US. Before that, Apple sued Qualcomm for close to $1 billion over a royalty dispute. Qualcomm later dragged Apple's manufacturing partners into the legal mess.
Qualcomm is also dealing with a lawsuit from the FTC over allegations of anti-competitive practices.
Lead image via Mark Lennihan, AP Photo