A Delaware jury has found that Arm breached its Architecture License Agreement (ALA) with Qualcomm, awarding just $2 in nominal damages—$1 for each of two claims. The jury determined Arm withheld software patches and verification tools needed to validate Qualcomm's custom Oryon CPU cores and intentionally interfered with Qualcomm's business with Meta, tied to a leaked 60-day license cancellation notice from October 2024. Arm won the remaining claims, primarily concerning pricing under its separate Technology License Agreement (TLA).
The core issue remains unresolved: Judge Maryellen Noreika has not yet ruled on whether the breach allows Qualcomm to stop paying ALA royalties for five years, a provision potentially worth billions. Arm contends the clause is an unenforceable penalty. Both companies framed the outcome positively—Qualcomm called itself 'gratified,' while Arm highlighted its success on most claims.
This marks the second legal round between the firms; in December 2024, a jury cleared Qualcomm of breaching its license via the Nuvia acquisition, leading to a final judgment in its favor in September 2025, which Arm has appealed. Another appeal is likely pending the royalty decision.
Source: TechPowerUp News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing