, Columnist
Qualcomm’s Apple Settlement Doesn’t End Risk to Its Business Model
Litigation was never about principle. It was always about the money.
Investors are pleased, but uncertainty lingers.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Remember this for the next protracted, hyperbolic and ugly spat between giant companies: It’s never about the principle. It’s always about the money.
As chronicled relentlessly, Apple Inc. sued Qualcomm Inc. two years ago over what it said was a rigged business model. Qualcomm makes chips that are essential for connecting wireless devices including smartphones to the internet, but a big chunk of Qualcomm’s profits come from licensing its patented technology to device makers.