Broadcom Suit Against Qualcomm Shot Down by Judge

The antitrust lawsuit filed last year by Broadcom against competitor Qualcomm has been dismissed by New Jersey U.S. District Judge Mary Cooper, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Broadcom charged Qualcomm with participating in monopolistic business practices in the market for UMTS, or W-CDMA, technologies—the technology on which many cell phones and the semiconductors within them are based, according to the Journal.

Broadcom claims that Qualcomm said it would use “fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms” in licensing UMTS/W-CDMA technologies but failed to do so, providing reductions in royalty rates for interested parties, among other tactics to boost its business, the Journal reports.

U.S. District Judge Mary Cooper wrote in her decision, “The allegations in the complaint read as a whole do not support an inference that competition in the UMTS chipset market is, or will be injured by Qualcomm’s licensing practices,” according to the Journal.

Louis Lupin, Qualcomm senior vice president and general counsel, said the company is pleased with the judge’s ruling, but noted that Broadcom still has the option of restating its complaint and it could also appeal the decision, the Journal reports.

A Broadcom spokesperson said, “Broadcom respectfully disagrees with the court’s decision, and it intends to continue to seek redress in U.S. courts and abroad,” according to the Journal.

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