San Francisco/Washington — Apple and its Asian contract manufacturers are hitting back at Qualcomm with legal claims that try to undermine the chipmaker’s attempt to force them to pay licensing fees. Qualcomm is asking for payments massively in excess of what it would normally receive, Apple, Compal Electronics, Hon Hai Precision Industry and others said early on Wednesday in court filings. If successful, their counter-claims could cost Qualcomm billions of dollars in refunded fees and damages, Apple said. The filings represent the latest escalation in the dispute between Apple and Qualcomm over fees the San Diego-based company charges on all modern phones — even if the device does not have one of its chips — a revenue stream that has made it one of the richest companies in the industry. The dispute first surfaced in January when Apple accused Qualcomm of overcharging it billions of dollars as part of illegal business practices. The contract manufacturers, who were dragged into the ...
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