Qualcomm said Monday that a Chinese provincial court has ordered Apple subsidiaries to stop selling a wide swath of iPhone models in China that infringe on two Qualcomm patents.
The preliminary injunction by the Fuzhou Intermediate People's Court is a victory for Qualcomm in its wide ranging legal fight with Apple over patent licensing fees.
The Fuzhou court case involves two non-essential Qualcomm patents that allow consumers to adjust and reformat the size of photographs, as well as manage applications using a touch screen.
It requires four Chinese subsidiaries of Apple to immediately stop infringing on the two patents through sales of several models of iPhones in China. The patent office in China previously found that the patents were valid.
Qualcomm said the preliminary injunction involves seven models � iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X.
Qualcomm filed the patent infringement claim against Apple in the Fuzhou court in November 2017. It is the first court to issue a preliminary injunction banning iPhone sales in China, where Qualcomm has brought several other patent infringement cases against Apple in different courts.
The two tech giants are fighting a fierce legal battle in courts worldwide over how much Qualcomm charges to license its intellectual property. In addition to cases involving other patents in China, Qualcomm also has sued Apple for patent infringement in Germany and the U.S.
China is a large market for iPhone sales. The provincial court's ruling takes effect throughout the country.
Apple disputes that the court ruling bans iPhone sales. The company said in a statement that all iPhone models remain available for sale in China.
"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," the company said. "Qualcomm is asserting three patents they never raised before, including one that has already been invalidated. We will pursue all our options through the courts."
The preliminary injunction does not cover the latest models of iPhones released in September, including the iPhone XR and iPhone XS.
But the preliminary injunction likely does increase pressure on Apple, which derives much of its profit from iPhone sales.
"We deeply value our relationships with customers, rarely resorting to the courts for assistance, but we also have an abiding belief in the need to protect intellectual property rights," said Don Rosenberg, Qualcomm's general counsel, in a statement. "Apple continues to benefit from our intellectual property while refusing to compensate us. These Court orders are further confirmation of the strength of Qualcomm's vast patent portfolio."
While Qualcomm has said that the two companies are likely to settle their legal battles, Apple lawyers contend there are currently no settlement talks and that Apple expects the dispute to go to trial in the U.S.
