The US Patent and Trademark Office has decided to wade into a global licensing battle between Apple Inc and Qualcomm Inc, with billions of dollars at stake. 

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board agreed to consider the validity of two Qualcomm patents, according to notices posted on its electronic docket Tuesday. Apple and ally Intel Corp had claimed the patents didn’t cover new inventions and the board conducted a preliminary analysis to determine if Apple had a “reasonable likelihood” of winning its argument. The board will hear arguments from both sides and issue a final decision in about a year.