Apple and component maker Qualcomm, one of the largest in the world, have struck a deal to end all pending lawsuits in different parts of the world. The agreement provides for the payment by Apple of a sum of money, the amount of which has not been specified, and the possibility for the company to use Qualcomm's licensed products for six years (plus two additional options), without particular limitations. In recent years, Apple has sued Qualcomm accusing it of charging too high prices for some of its smartphone components, such as modems, to connect them to cellular networks, in a regime of substantial monopoly. Qualcomm, on the other hand, had accused Apple of using its systems without the necessary licenses, in some cases obtaining the suspension of sales of certain iPhone models in Germany and China. News of the deal came by surprise, just as a major new trial was starting in the United States involving the two companies.
