Just another WordPress weblog

What a soap opera this has been. First, the government bans the import of certain Broadcom chips, which were held under patent. Then, under pressure from major telecoms not named Verizon, the ruling was halted. Verizon had previously cut a deal with Broadcom to use the chips, which likely played a role in the judge’s ruling, which came down over two months ago.

Now Broadcom, winners of a $19.6 million lawsuit against Qualcomm, is moving forward with an injunction to reinstate the ban. Qualcomm, however, is working to strike a deal in the form of royalty payments.

The injunction hearing has already been heard, and a decision is expected in December. The hearing could have been delayed if Broadcom wanted to expand the original lawsuit, based on Qualcomm’s actions being willful. However, Broadcom decided to accept the $19.6 million and move forward with the injunction, rather than delay things further.

The ban worked well for the cell carriers and handset makers, however, as many new phones have been released in time for the holiday season.

[San Diego On San Diego]

Share on Facebook | Add to De.licio.us | Digg This! | Technorati