After five days of deliberation, the jury landed on a number: two dollars. Not $2 million, not $200 million — just two bucks, flat.
This marks the latest chapter in the years-long legal battle between Qualcomm and Arm. The Delaware jury determined that Arm breached its Architectural License Agreement with Qualcomm by withholding software patches and design tools, and also found that Arm deliberately interfered with a business deal between Qualcomm and Meta. Qualcomm had previously alleged that Arm leaked information to Bloomberg News in 2024, claiming Qualcomm had violated its licensing agreement, just as the Qualcomm-Meta deal was nearing completion — a leak that reportedly caused the deal to be delayed.
On four other claims brought by Qualcomm, the jury sided with Arm. In other words, it was a split decision: Qualcomm won on two claims but was awarded just one dollar for each, while Arm prevailed on the remaining four.
Both companies issued statements afterward, each claiming to be "pleased" with the outcome. Arm's statement read: "Despite Qualcomm's lawsuit, which sought to deprive Arm of billions of dollars in royalties owed under our licensing agreements, the jury's verdict confirms that Arm acted in good faith in performing its technology license agreements, and the mere two-dollar award validates the merits of Arm's position."
Qualcomm's statement, meanwhile, zeroed in on the breach of contract finding itself: the company said it was "pleased" that the jury found Arm had breached the long-standing ALA agreement, failed to honor its commitments, and deliberately interfered with Qualcomm's business. Qualcomm added that this result, "combined with the earlier court ruling in its favor," further exposes Arm's broader intent to harm Qualcomm and its ecosystem.
The dispute between the two companies dates back to 2022, when Arm sued Qualcomm over its acquisition of Nuvia, which also held an Arm technology license. Arm argued at the time that Qualcomm hadn't obtained the necessary permission to transfer Nuvia's license, constituting a breach of contract. Last year, Qualcomm announced that a court had dismissed Arm's remaining claims, calling it a "complete victory." According to Thurrott, information revealed during discovery in that case — along with testimony from Arm CEO Rene Haas on the stand — prompted Qualcomm to turn around and sue Arm.
The two-dollar award won't be the end of this legal battle. U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika is still weighing several other unresolved disputes between the two companies. If Noreika ultimately rules in Qualcomm's favor, the company could potentially stop paying Arm royalties for the next five years — a sum Arm says is worth billions of dollars. Arm, for its part, argues that this clause in the licensing agreement isn't enforceable.
