Texas Instruments sues Qualcomm over handset chip deal

Chip maker Texas Instruments has sued Qualcomm, alleging that the cellular technology company violated a December 2000 cross-licensing agreement.

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The breach-of-contract suit is the latest in a legal battle over the 2000 patent portfolio agreement involving mobile phone chip technology.

In July, Qualcomm sued Texas Instruments for breach of the same deal. Texas Instruments filed a motion earlier this month to dismiss that suit.

Texas Instruments is suing because it has received reports that Qualcomm is offering mobile phone makers discounts on handset royalties only if they buy their code division multiple access chip sets from Qualcomm. Earlier this year, Texas Instruments joined with STMicroelectronics and Nokia to offer a chipset for CDMA2000 1X, a CDMA-based, high-speed mobile data technology.

The suit seeks a court order to require Qualcomm to follow the terms of the cross-licensing deal and an injunction to prohibit the company from making false or misleading statements about each party's rights and obligations.

Qualcomm spokeswoman Christine Trimble said her company had not seen the TI complaint and, therefore, cannot comment on it.

Stephen Lawson writes for IDG News Service