Arm to Appeal Court Ruling Upholding Qualcomm’s Victory in Licensing Dispute
Arm announced on Tuesday that it will appeal a U.S. federal court decision that upheld Qualcomm’s jury victory in a long-running dispute over processor licensing rights, marking the latest escalation in a case with major implications for the semiconductor industry.
The dispute centers on central processor units (CPUs) designed by Qualcomm’s subsidiary Nuvia, which Arm claimed were produced using its technology without proper authorization. In 2023, a Delaware federal jury ruled that Qualcomm’s CPUs were properly licensed under an existing agreement with Arm, handing a key win to the U.S. chipmaker.
The jury sided with Qualcomm on two of three counts, while deadlocking on the third, leading Judge Maryellen Noreika to declare a mistrial on that issue. Arm later sought to have the favorable verdicts for Qualcomm overturned or to secure a new trial, but the judge rejected both requests.
“Arm remains confident in its position in its ongoing dispute with Qualcomm and will immediately file an appeal seeking to overturn the judgment,” the British chip designer said in a statement.
Qualcomm welcomed the decision, framing it as a validation of its innovation rights.
“Our right to innovate prevailed in this case, and we hope Arm will return to fair and competitive practices in dealing with the Arm ecosystem,” said Ann Chaplin, Qualcomm’s general counsel.
The ruling underscores tensions between Arm’s new licensing model and major semiconductor firms that depend on its architecture. Arm provides fundamental chip technology used in processors made by Qualcomm, Apple, and MediaTek, which power billions of smartphones and connected devices worldwide.
The appeal sets the stage for a closely watched legal battle that could influence how chipmakers access and use Arm’s core intellectual property in future CPU designs.
