Qualcomm Legally Proves Arm Breached Its License, Wins $2

A Delaware jury found Arm breached its Architecture License Agreement with Qualcomm, awarding Qualcomm nominal damages of $2 - $1 for each of two claims the jury found in Qualcomm’s favor. The jury concluded Arm withheld software patches and verification tools Qualcomm needed to validate its custom Oryon CPU cores and intentionally interfered with Qualcomm’s business with Meta, a claim tied to Arm’s October 2024 60-day cancellation notice that leaked to Bloomberg. Arm prevailed on most other counts, largely disputes over pricing under a separate Technology License Agreement.

A key unresolved issue is whether that breach lets Qualcomm stop paying ALA royalties for five years - a remedy that could be worth billions - while Arm argues such a penalty is unenforceable. Judge Maryellen Noreika must rule on that relief, and both companies are publicly spinning the mixed verdict. This is a second legal encounter between the two: a December 2024 jury previously cleared Qualcomm over its Nuvia acquisition, a judgment Qualcomm won final in September 2025 and which Arm has appealed. Given the stakes around royalties and licensing terms, further appeals in this matter are likely.