InterDigital Inc (IDCC)

[Learning2vest]

amr - re "delay" in getting an arb result. Was listening close for any hints or signals on that possibility this morning and thought I heard "either we will get a settlement we can live with, or we will execute on the judgement", or something to that effect.

Hoping that meant "IDCC is confident in it's position, and will not allow the ICC arbitration process to be delayed".

Nokia has done just about everything they could to delay and/or influence the arbitration process over the past few years. Why would Merritt agree to a delay at this point??

I'm thinking that Bill Merritt's best "deal" with Nokia is on the table, has been on the table for awhile now, and that he has "negotiated" as far as he is going to. I'm talking about 2G rates, 3G rates, terms and conditions, indemnifier,... everything!

Gotta remember that Merritt has been IDCC's "point man" negotiating directly with Nokia for several years now. If that was not the case then, yes, maybe the "new" CEO would need some time to get up to speed on the situation. But not Bill Merritt, he just got promoted to "head dude" standing behind what he has been saying to Nokia for several years now. (In fact, along with a lot of other considerations, I think naming him CEO this week may have been the Board's way of communicating to Nokia and everybody else in the wireless industry "Listen to what Bill Merritt tells you!")

Of course, old "trick a minute" Nokia might toss out a "feeler" on doing something with smart antennas, WLAN, or some other kind of product deal as part of a settlement, but I don't think Merritt would take any of that kind of bait from Nokia at this point in time. Betting he would say "Let's get square on licensing, and then we will talk about that product stuff".