Qualcomm has secured a key win in its ongoing trial against chipmaker Arm. A US federal court jury found that Qualcomm’s central processors are properly licensed under an agreement with Arm, clearing the way for the company to continue selling chips created using Nuvia technology and central to its push into the laptop market.
The verdict also confirmed that Qualcomm did not breach its license with Nuvia, a startup acquired by Qualcomm in 2021. The jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on whether Nuvia breached its agreement with Arm, but this finding does not impact the main outcome of the trial.
The result is seen as a victory for Qualcomm, which had been seeking greater clarity on the terms of its contract with Arm. The company has long been pushing its “AI PC” laptop chip technology, and the verdict paves the way for it to continue expanding into this market.
However, the trial’s outcome leaves open several questions regarding the intellectual property rights between Arm and its customers. The jury found that Qualcomm’s products are protected under its contract with Arm, but the extent of these protections is still unclear.
Industry analysts see the trial as a significant development in the ongoing battle for market share in the chip industry. With major players such as Nvidia, AMD, and MediaTek planning to make Arm-based processors in laptops, this outcome is likely to have implications for the sector’s future direction.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-jury-deadlocked-arm-trial-against-qualcomm-still-deliberating-2024-12-20