Replies to post #8598 on Qualcomm Inc (QCOM)

[Immelman]

Wouldn't it be Qualcomm with a lack of integrity since they are not sharing any of the money with IDCC? IDCC has helped invent the great technologies that make 3G work but Qualcomm refuses to pay for it! Do you call that integrity?

MWoods

[Eric]

InterDigital Fact (and Opinion)

HummerBob,

<< I was under the impression that IDCC was a skeleton company with few engineers and lots of lawyers...maybe only 55 employees or so. >>

As of March 1, 2004, InterDigital employed 311 full-time individuals consisting of approximately 232 engineering and product development personnel, 12 patent administration and licensing personnel and 67 other personnel. That fact is per their latest SEC filing.

Their engineers appear to me to be very highly regarded in the wireless industry. That is an opininion I've formed by talking personally with wireless professionals I respect.

I am not an investor in IDCC (as several of this board's finest contributor's are) and I am nowhere near as knowledgeable about them as many of the seasoned folks here. However, and As for MWood's (Immelman's) question:

Wouldn't it be Qualcomm with a lack of integrity since they are not sharing any of the money with IDCC?

My answer would be that Qualcomm is not in the business of "sharing" money with anyone unless they have to. They are not a charity. IDCC will need to either negotiate with, or litigate against, Qualcomm (again), if they feel that they have IP that Qualcomm needs to execute a business plan, and conversely InterDigital may need Qualcomm IP to execute their own evolving business plans.

It has been pointed out here that IHub hosts an excellent IDCC board hosted by Jim Lurgio. It is certainly the best forum on IHub, or on the planet to discuss InterDigital the company, and IDCC the stock.

That said, I do not agree that InterDigital is as some have stated, Off Topic, on this board. I defer to our hosts Data Rox's and Rich Bloem's judgment on that.

It is my considered opinion that InterDigital is a potential obstacle that Qualcomm will have to deal with in the future.

InterDigital has apparently accumulated significant IP in 3GSM UMTS UTRA TDD (more substantial probably than in 3GSM UMTS UTRA FDD DS). At such time (and if) Qualcomm decides to add TDD HCR or TDD LCR to their chipset roadmap, they will almost unquestionably be dealing with InterDigital across a negotiating table, or in a courtroom.

I'll state one final opinion, and that is that anything that is happening in the world of G3G mobile wireless is, and should be, of interest to Qualcomm investors. One of the great attributes of this board is that discussion is not limited to Qualcomm, and instead, topics, companies, and issues, that affect Qualcomm are openly discussed.

Best,

- Eric -