Qualcomm wins landmark trial against Arm in chip license dispute
Qualcomm wins a federal court case over chip licensing against Arm.

Qualcomm emerged victorious in a high-profile court battle against Arm Holdings, focused on Qualcomm's $1.4 billion purchase of Nuvia in 2021, and subsequent usage of Arm's chip architecture. The federal court in Delaware ruled that Qualcomm did not breach its licensing deal with Arm by using the acquired technology without paying increased fees.
While Qualcomm prevailed on the main issue, unresolved concerns linger, particularly whether Nuvia had violated its license with Arm. Judge Maryellen Noreika mentioned a potential retrial, highlighting the importance of clarifying licensing agreement boundaries, especially amidst widespread acquisition activity in the semiconductor sector.
Qualcomm plans to incorporate Nuvia's technology into its chips, aiming to advance its AI market reach by creating laptop chips for tasks like chatbots and image generation. As the company seeks to compete with Nvidia, AMD, and MediaTek in producing Arm-based processors, Arm's intention to seek a retrial remains a critical factor in the ongoing legal landscape.