Apple Inc. is accumulating judgments that attack the way in which Qualcomm Inc. license technology for mobile phones in a widespread effort to recover gains in a market slowed down.
The latest lawsuit Apple filed Friday, alleges that Qualcomm has used unfairly the power of its patents, which cover the foundations of telephone systems, and your business from chips to shore up its dominant position in the industry. The legal actions of Apple are still to regulatory investigations and fines imposed on three continents, and even a demand announced last week by the Federal Trade Commission of the united States.
"it Looks like another coordinated attack on Qualcomm," said Mike Walkley, analyst at Canaccord Genuity. The business of cell phones is "a mature industry, they have to get higher margins".
to Support the government’s actions is one way to lessen the control of Qualcomm on the business of the smart phones. In his last five fiscal years, the company has become a US$ 37,000 million of license revenues in US$ 32,000 million of earnings before tax. Your gross margin, or the percentage of revenue remaining after deducting the cost of production, it is 61%, and analysts warn that is extended.
Compare that with the gross margin of Apple of 39 percent in its most recent fiscal year, a figure that is expected to be more close in 2017. the Samsung Electronics Co., the largest manufacturer of mobile phones ahead of Apple, also had a margin of 39% in its most recent fiscal year.
Apple, Samsung and LG Electronics Inc. part of the increasingly competitive market of smartphones in an environment of growth slows down. Shipments of mobile phones probably rose 0.6 per cent, to 1,450 million units in 2016, according to research firm IDC. Until the second quarter of 2015, the market was growing at 10% and more.
Samsung and LG are based in South Korea, where the regulatory anti-monopoly announced in December a record high of 1.03 billion won (US$ 880 million) in fines against Qualcomm for violating antitrust laws, solicitándosele to the manufacturer of the chips that modify the practices of your business.
In China, the largest mobile phone market, the antitrust regulators accused Qualcomm of abusing its dominant position. Instead of taking the risk of being blocked, in February 2015, Qualcomm paid US$ 975 million to solve the case, being given the right to charge license fees to the manufacturers of mobile phones at a lower rate for the phones to be sold in the country.
The practices of Qualcomm
Qualcomm has been a double threat. Its position with respect to the patents has allowed him to take a significant part of the selling price of each phone and the money generated has helped to finance research and development leaders in the industry and develop better processors.
Apple usually uses two or more suppliers for any component, creating competition and forcing down prices. But depended solely on the chips of baseband from Qualcomm, up to that introduced the iPhone 7 last year, when it changed in some versions to modems Intel Corp.
ultimately, a battle in the courts would take two years, according to Walkley of Canaccord. It is much more likely that Apple you want to reach an out of court settlement in exchange for lower rates.
Is a better bet, because the chip manufacturer of San Diego comes to fighting legal battles similar for more than two decades, and gave an.
"This is the stance of Apple to get lowest rates on forward," said Walkley. "Apple is trying to change 20 years of history, and if it does, Qualcomm will be really in trouble, because then all the others will want them to return your money."
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