Apple Slaps Qualcomm With Its Own Patent Infringement Countersuit

The legal battle between Apple and Qualcomm just got a lot more complicated. The iPhone maker recently filed a countersuit against the processing chip giant, accusing it of committing patent infringement. In making this move, Apple also made changes to its previous denial that it infringed on Qualcomm’s patents, opting instead to initiate a high-stakes version of the pot calling the kettle black.

As Reuters reports, Apple previously denied that it had infringed on the battery life patent that Qualcomm claimed and insisted that the patents were invalid anyway. On Wednesday, the company changed its tune and went after its partner/enemy for supposedly violating eight battery life patents that Apple owned.

The patents apparently involve power management regarding processors, which are basically responsible for turning off various systems when not in use to save battery. In its countersuit, Apple’s filings state that the Snapdragon 800 and 820 processors that power Android phones of major brands infringe on said patents.

“Apple began seeking those patents years before Qualcomm began seeking the patents it asserts against Apple in this case,” the complaint reads.

The Cupertino firm is seeking damage compensation from the San Diego giant, as a result, but the amount was not specified. At this point, it’s beginning to look like Apple is playing a game of chicken with Qualcomm to see which one of them would flinch first.

This year has been particularly brutal as far as legal battles between major companies go. The case between Apple and Qualcomm has largely involved trading punches, MacRumors notes. The chip maker essentially tried tattling on the teacher, which was the U.S. International Trade Commission in an effort to have sales of iPhone and iPads in the U.S. banned. The iPhone giant answered by ganging up on Qualcomm with a posse of its major suppliers joining in on the fight.