Apple to pay penalty for delays over Qualcomm case

San Francisco

A JUDGE granted sanctions against Apple Inc for dragging its feet in turning over documents in the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) lawsuit accusing Qualcomm Inc of forcing the iPhone maker to use its chips exclusively.

US Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins in San Jose, California, ordered Apple to pay US$25,000 for each day that it fails to produce the evidence starting on Dec 16, a penalty equal to the profit that the iPhone maker generated every 16 seconds in the last fiscal year. Apple has until Dec 29 to turn over the documents or face even steeper fines, according to a court filing late on Thursday.