Intel and Qualcomm hand over source code to aid Apple's patent fight

Australian lawyers claim to have proof that Apple did not infringe Samsung's wireless patents

Chip makers Intel and Qualcomm have reportedly provided source code to Apple, which its lawyers say will help prove that it has not infringed patents held by Samsung.

Bloomberg quoted one of Apple's Australian lawyers, who said that attorneys in the US had inspected the code and agreed to provide it to Apple.

"Further non-infringing arguments can be made from that disclosure," Apple lawyer Andrew Fox told Bloomberg.

The dispute centres on whether Apple's iPad and iPhone infringe on Samsung's patents over wireless transmissions.

The case, one of the dozens of patent infringement suits between Apple and rival tablet maker Samsung, is set to be heard by a Sydney court later this year.

Previously, Apple has succeeded in getting German courts to ban sales of Samsung's original Galaxy Tab device. Its efforts to win a similar ban in Australia persuaded Samsung to retaliate with counter suits.

Apple had some initial success in getting the Galaxy Tab sales banned in Australia last October. While that decision was eventually overturned in late November, Samsung had by that time missed out on a chunk of the pre-Christmas sales opportunity.

The initial hearings which took place this week have concerned the exchange of documents ahead of the full hearing.

Apple, Qualcomm and Intel have been contacted by V3 for comment on the case, but had not responded at the time of publication.