High stakes in Apple legal dispute with Qualcomm

When people or companies say a fight that spills into court “isn’t about the money,” you know that means it’s entirely about the money. Lawsuits are motivated by self-interest.

That’s an important principle to keep in mind when reading about the legal back-and-forth between two of the world’s largest companies. Apple in January sued Qualcomm, contending that the maker of smartphone computer chips abuses its control over essential mobile phone technology to overcharge Apple and others.

Companies including Apple pay Qualcomm a percentage of each phone’s total sale price for the chipmaker’s patented wireless technology, whether they buy Qualcomm’s chips or not.