By Sinead Carew
April 27 (Reuters) - Qualcomm Inc and Broadcom Corp agreed to settle their legal differences after a four-year patent battle spanning three continents and involving competition regulators as well as U.S. courts.
Here are some of the highlights:
SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA
May 18, 2005 - Broadcom files case in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, California, accusing Qualcomm of infringing two Broadcom patents related to push-to-talk mobile features and ability to access different services at same time.
May 2007 - Jury finds Qualcomm infringed both patents, leading Judge James Selna to issue an injunction on Dec. 31.
Aug 2008 - Judge Selna finds Qualcomm in contempt of injunction for not paying royalties to Broadcom.
Sept 2008 - Appeals court backs infringement ruling and injunction.
US INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
May 19, 2005 - Broadcom files case with U.S. International Trade Commission, accusing Qualcomm of infringing three patents.
June 2007 - Judge finds Qualcomm infringed Broadcom's power saving technology patent. ITC bans the U.S. import of phones with infringing Qualcomm chips.
Nov 2007 - Broadcom says Qualcomm's workaround chips violate ITC order.
Oct 2008 - Appeal court says ITC did not have authority for part of the ban. Asks ITC to revisit the case.
US DISTRICT COURT, NEW JERSEY
July 1, 2005 - Broadcom files complaint accusing Qualcomm of violating antitrust laws in US District Court, New Jersey. Qualcomm has the case dismissed.
Sept 4, 2007 - Appeals court reverses the dismissal.
Aug 12, 2008 - New Jersey Court has case transferred to San Diego, California. Qualcomm opposed this move.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Oct 14, 2005 - In US District Court for Southern California in San Diego Qualcomm accuses Broadcom of infringing two patents related to video technology but loses case and gets slapped with misconduct charges.
Jan 2007 - Jury finds Broadcom did not infringe the patents but that Qualcomm withheld data in a technology standards-setting process.
March 2007 - Broadcom files for sanctions against Qualcomm for withholding documents during the case.
Aug 2007 - Judge Rudi Brewster finds Qualcomm guilty of 'aggravated litigation misconduct,' case referred to Judge Barbara Major. Qualcomm general counsel Lou Lupin resigns. Brewster also says Qualcomm abused standard setting process. Qualcomm appeals.
Jan 2008 - Judge Major says Qualcomm withheld 46,000 documents in 'monumental and intentional discovery violation.' Orders sanctions including referring Qualcomm outside lawyers to the State Bar for disciplinary action.
March 2008 - Brewster vacates sanctions against the lawyers, saying they should be allowed to defend themselves.
Oct 8, 2008 - Broadcom files new complaint in the San Diego court accusing Qualcomm of patent misuse resulting in a 'double recovery' of royalties.
March 2009 - Court dismisses case in early March and Broadcom refiled its case on March 26.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Oct 26, 2005 -Broadcom and other companies ask European Commission to examine Qualcomm's competition practices.
Oct 1, 2007 - Commission says opening formal investigation into Qualcomm's technology licensing practices.
KOREAN FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
June 2006 - Broadcom, other companies ask Korean Federal Trade Commission (KFTC) to examine Qualcomm's competitive practices.
March 11, 2009 - Qualcomm says KFTC issued case examiner's report with charges about its business practices in South Korea. Qualcomm says to submit response within months
LEGAL SETTLEMENT
April 27, 2009 - Qualcomm agrees to pay Broadcom $891 million over four years in a settlement of all their legal disputes. The companies agree not to assert their patents against each other.
(Reporting by Sinead Carew; editing by Carol Bishopric) Keywords: QUALCOMM/BROADCOM (email:sinead.carew@thomsonreuters.com; +1 646-223-6186) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
April 27 (Reuters) - Qualcomm Inc and Broadcom Corp agreed to settle their legal differences after a four-year patent battle spanning three continents and involving competition regulators as well as U.S. courts.
Here are some of the highlights:
SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA
May 18, 2005 - Broadcom files case in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, California, accusing Qualcomm of infringing two Broadcom patents related to push-to-talk mobile features and ability to access different services at same time.
May 2007 - Jury finds Qualcomm infringed both patents, leading Judge James Selna to issue an injunction on Dec. 31.
Aug 2008 - Judge Selna finds Qualcomm in contempt of injunction for not paying royalties to Broadcom.
Sept 2008 - Appeals court backs infringement ruling and injunction.
US INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
May 19, 2005 - Broadcom files case with U.S. International Trade Commission, accusing Qualcomm of infringing three patents.
June 2007 - Judge finds Qualcomm infringed Broadcom's power saving technology patent. ITC bans the U.S. import of phones with infringing Qualcomm chips.
Nov 2007 - Broadcom says Qualcomm's workaround chips violate ITC order.
Oct 2008 - Appeal court says ITC did not have authority for part of the ban. Asks ITC to revisit the case.
US DISTRICT COURT, NEW JERSEY
July 1, 2005 - Broadcom files complaint accusing Qualcomm of violating antitrust laws in US District Court, New Jersey. Qualcomm has the case dismissed.
Sept 4, 2007 - Appeals court reverses the dismissal.
Aug 12, 2008 - New Jersey Court has case transferred to San Diego, California. Qualcomm opposed this move.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Oct 14, 2005 - In US District Court for Southern California in San Diego Qualcomm accuses Broadcom of infringing two patents related to video technology but loses case and gets slapped with misconduct charges.
Jan 2007 - Jury finds Broadcom did not infringe the patents but that Qualcomm withheld data in a technology standards-setting process.
March 2007 - Broadcom files for sanctions against Qualcomm for withholding documents during the case.
Aug 2007 - Judge Rudi Brewster finds Qualcomm guilty of 'aggravated litigation misconduct,' case referred to Judge Barbara Major. Qualcomm general counsel Lou Lupin resigns. Brewster also says Qualcomm abused standard setting process. Qualcomm appeals.
Jan 2008 - Judge Major says Qualcomm withheld 46,000 documents in 'monumental and intentional discovery violation.' Orders sanctions including referring Qualcomm outside lawyers to the State Bar for disciplinary action.
March 2008 - Brewster vacates sanctions against the lawyers, saying they should be allowed to defend themselves.
Oct 8, 2008 - Broadcom files new complaint in the San Diego court accusing Qualcomm of patent misuse resulting in a 'double recovery' of royalties.
March 2009 - Court dismisses case in early March and Broadcom refiled its case on March 26.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Oct 26, 2005 -Broadcom and other companies ask European Commission to examine Qualcomm's competition practices.
Oct 1, 2007 - Commission says opening formal investigation into Qualcomm's technology licensing practices.
KOREAN FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
June 2006 - Broadcom, other companies ask Korean Federal Trade Commission (KFTC) to examine Qualcomm's competitive practices.
March 11, 2009 - Qualcomm says KFTC issued case examiner's report with charges about its business practices in South Korea. Qualcomm says to submit response within months
LEGAL SETTLEMENT
April 27, 2009 - Qualcomm agrees to pay Broadcom $891 million over four years in a settlement of all their legal disputes. The companies agree not to assert their patents against each other.
(Reporting by Sinead Carew; editing by Carol Bishopric) Keywords: QUALCOMM/BROADCOM (email:sinead.carew@thomsonreuters.com; +1 646-223-6186) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.