Qualcomm in new legal woes

Nokia files countersuit against chip manufacturer

Nokia is suing Qualcomm for patent infringement

Chip manufacturer Qualcomm, which has been the subject of a ban preventing the import 3G phones containing its chips, has been hit with another legal suit.

Nokia has filed a patent infringement countersuit against Qualcomm in a Texas court, seeking an injunction and unspecified damages.

Nokia alleges Qualcomm has infringed on six of its patents relating to technology that allows the download of applications to mobile phones and ensures broadcast quality mobile TV services.

‘This is another example where Qualcomm has effectively copied Nokia’s innovations,’ says Nokia chief technology officer Tero Ojanpera.

‘Nokia has a strong history of innovation in IP broadcast television and mobile download environments predating Qualcomm's activities.’

The pair have a history of legal disputes, with Qualcomm filing 11 patent suits in the past two years, although none have been successful.

Nokia countersued for the first time last month for alleged infringement related to its wireless chipset technologies. The most recent suit us a response to Qualcomm’s claim that Nokia infringed three of its patents that involve certain types of mobile software download and execution environments.

Nokia says these are invalid and that they are based on the alleged inventions having been patented already by other companies, including Nokia.