Fabless chipmaker Broadcom Corp. said today that U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is investigating whether rival Qualcomm Inc. engaged in unfair trade practices by importing products that infringe on Broadcom patents.

Broadcom sued Qualcomm last month in a California federal court, filing two separate suits, seeking damages and a permanent injunction barring the manufacture and sale of Qualcomm's core suite of baseband and RF ICs, including its multimedia, enhanced and convergence platform chips and its QChat VoIP technology for cellular phones. Broadcom alleged these various products infringe on 10 of its products.

At the same time, Irvine, Calif.-based Broadcom filed a complaint with the ITC against San Diego-based Qualcomm, alleging that it is importing ICs and other products that infringe five Broadcom patents.

Broadcom said today that the case has been referred to ITC Administrative Law Judge Charles E. Bullock, who will schedule and hold an evidentiary hearings and then make an initial determination, which it expects early next year. The ITC is likely to hand down its final determination in the second half of 2006.

By: DocMemory
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