Broadcom Corp. unleashed a major patent suit against CDMA pioneer Qualcomm Inc., alleging the company’s chip offerings violate 10 of its patents. The move is notable as Qualcomm has typically been the instigator in a number of patent battles.
“We believe that Qualcomm’s current and next-generation cellular baseband and radio-frequency product lines infringe a number of our patents,” said Scott McGregor, Broadcom’s president and chief executive officer.
A Qualcomm spokeswoman said the company had not yet reviewed the Broadcom suit and could therefore not comment on the issue.
Broadcom alleges Qualcomm’s core suite of baseband and RF integrated circuits, including its multimedia, enhanced and convergence platform chips and its QChat Voice over Internet Protocol technology for cellular phones, infringes on its patents. In its suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Broadcom is seeking unspecified monetary damages and an injunction against the sale of Qualcomm’s infringing products.
In a separate action, Broadcom said it filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission, alleging Qualcomm engaged in unfair trade practices. The company said Qualcomm imported integrated circuits and other products that infringe on five of its patents. Broadcom is asking the ITC to bar the importation of those devices into the United States and to bar further sales of the products that have already been imported.
Broadcom’s intellectual property portfolio includes 955 issued U.S. patents and more than 3,200 additional U.S. patent applications.
Qualcomm is no stranger to the courtroom. The company has fought patent battles against the likes of Maxim Integrated Products Inc., Motorola Inc., L.M. Ericsson, BTG USA Inc. and others.
