A Delaware jury just handed Qualcomm a win against Arm Holdings that comes with a price tag of exactly two dollars. Yes, $2. One buck for each of the two claims the chip designer actually won.
On October 13, 2026, a federal jury in Wilmington found that Arm breached its Architectural License Agreement with Qualcomm by withholding software patches and tools known as ACKs and OOBs. Jurors also ruled that Arm intentionally and negligently interfered with Qualcomm’s business relationship with Meta Platforms. The award: $1 for the breach and $1 for the interference.
That’s nominal damages the legal equivalent of a participation trophy that still counts as a finding of liability. The jury sided with Arm on the remaining claims, including several other alleged contract breaches.
Both companies immediately claimed victory. Qualcomm said:
“We are gratified that the jury found Arm breached its long-standing Architectural License Agreement (ALA) with Qualcomm, failed to honor its commitments, and intentionally acted to disrupt Qualcomm’s businesses… This outcome is a victory for innovation and competition.”
Arm responded:
“We are pleased with the jury’s decision today finding for Arm on four claims and awarding only one dollar in damages on each of Qualcomm’s other two claims. Despite Qualcomm’s pursuit of this case in an attempt to deprive Arm of billions of dollars under our license agreements, the jury’s verdict confirms that Arm operated in good faith… and its award of only two dollars confirms the merit of Arm’s arguments.”
While the $2 million dollar number has been getting most of the press coverage, the battle is far from over. Qualcomm is asking U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika to invoke a contractual clause that will allow it to cease paying Arm any royalties for a period of up to five years. According to the experts, the value of this clause can be estimated at about $1 to $1.5 billion. Arm says that this clause is not enforceable because it is an illegal penalty.
The dispute traces back to Qualcomm’s 2021 acquisition of Nuvia and years of tension over licensing terms, support obligations, and next-generation pricing. Qualcomm is one of Arm’s biggest customers. Their Architecture License Agreement runs through 2033.
