Broadcom will pursue injunction against Qualcomm

by Jeremy Kirk

November 26, 2007 —

A U.S. federal court ruling has cleared the way for wireless chip maker Broadcom
to pursue an injunction against rival Qualcomm after a long-running patent dispute.

On Wednesday, Judge James V. Selna of the U.S. District Court for the Southern
District of California finalized a federal jury's conclusion in May that Qualcomm
willfully infringed on three of Broadcom's cellular phone baseband patents.

Broadcom will be awarded $19.6 million in compensatory damages. The company
said on Friday it will now pursue an injunction to stop Qualcomm from making
3G (third generation) and EVDO (Evolution Data only) cellular chips that infringe
on the patents.

Selma originally doubled the damages in light of another court ruling, but
later overturned it after a change in federal law. Broadcom could have requested
a new trial that would have determined the extent to which Qualcomm willfully
infringed, but the company has declined.

Broadcom attorney David Rosmann said last month that obtaining an injunction
was more important than damages.

The suit is one of several between Qualcomm and Broadcom, who are battling
over the market for mobile-phone chips.

IDG News Service