Qualcomm Inc (QCOM)

[slacker711]

Would it not be true that all QCOM has to do is ask NOK to license THEIR IP at fair and 'FRANDly' rates??
If they don't, then THEY are the ones in violation.

It can be argued that QCOM wants too much for their IP, but I've never understood that they refused to license them.

I dont believe that anything in any of the standards bodies or IP law will require Nokia to license Qualcomm without a license in return....though in some ways, that really might be considered the only "fair" solution. Qualcomm pays a 5% rate on their chipsets to Nokia (or whatever rate Nokia has charged other chipset manufacturers) while Nokia pays a 5% rate on their handsets. Forget all of the cross-licenses and just create a single rate that you charge everybody. A ton of cash would change hands but it would all even out in the end.

Personally, I dont subscribe any particular morality to the fact that Nokia will continue to ship WCDMA handsets without a license. However, for those who do, it would be hypocritical to not recognise that Qualcomm will also be shipping chipsets with GSM/WCDMA IP from Nokia (which many like to call "stealing").

Slacker