TI sues Qualcomm over handset chip deal

Chip maker Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) has sued Qualcomm Inc., alleging the cellular technology vendor violated a December 2000 cross-licensing agreement, TI said Tuesday.

The breach-of-contract suit, filed in Delaware Chancery Court, is the latest in a legal battle over the 2000 patent portfolio agreement involving cell phone chip technology. In July, Qualcomm sued Dallas-based TI alleging breach of the same deal. [See, "TI vows to fight Qualcomm patent suit," July 28.] TI filed a motion on Sept. 8 to dismiss that suit, according to a statement Tuesday.

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

The suit seeks a court order to require San Diego-based 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, TI said.

Qualcomm has not seen the TI complaint and cannot comment on it, Qualcomm spokeswoman Christine Trimble said Tuesday.