A new lawsuit filed by Qualcomm hints that Apple may have shared its proprietary technology with rival chipmaker Intel.
Bloomberg reports that the San Diego chip giant filed the lawsuit against Apple last week in California state court — the latest episode in the months-long legal spat between the two companies.
Qualcomm reportedly argued in its complaint that Apple breached their contract by refusing to allow an audit of how Apple handles the software that accompanies Qualcomm chips in its mobile devices.
The lawsuit also alleged that Apple failed to protect that software and that employees involved competitors — including Intel — in seeking information from Qualcomm.
Although Qualcomm makes the chips in many of the world’s high-tech devices, the company also generates revenue by licensing its patented technology — a strategy that ran afoul of device makers and regulators alike. Apple filed an antitrust lawsuit against Qualcomm early this year, and Qualcomm responded with allegations that Apple infringed on its patents.
Reports recently indicated that Apple, amid the escalating legal fight, is considering abandoning Qualcomm chips and instead building future iPhones and iPads entirely with chips made by Intel or MediaTek.
