14 DAY TRIAL // It feels like the Qualcomm vs Nokia lawsuit has been going on forever and it looks like the two companies are still not close to ending this.
Qualcomm had filed a complaint with the ITC last June asking for a halt on the sales of certain Nokia products, claiming that Nokia has imported and sold mobile phones that infringed on six of its patents.
In the meantime, Qualcomm has withdrawn patent infringement claims involving three out of the six initially under investigation.
Nokia has recently announced that the United States International Trade Commission has ordered a stay of Qualcomm's suit against the mobile phone manufacturer.
Although the trial for the case was scheduled for the 5th of March, according to Nokia, the ITC administrative law judge that is overseeing the investigation has ordered a stay until further notice. "Nokia is not aware of the exact reasons for the decision," said spokesman Bill Plummer adding that he believes "the decision in part reflects some of Nokia's defense actions."
Moreover, Nokia and Qualcomm are in negotiations for renewing a licensing agreement on CDMA and WCDMA, that will apparently expire on the 9th of April this year. While Qualcomm said that the talks remain deadlocked, Plummer believes that the stay isn't in any way connected with the ongoing negotiations. Nokia appears to be confident in claiming that they have not infringed any of the patents. The three remaining patents are all from the same patent family.
Nokia said that "If the case is not dismissed before the stay is lifted, Nokia welcomes the opportunity to prove that the claims regarding the three remaining patents have no more merit than those Qualcomm has already voluntarily withdrawn."