All GLG News Analyses Filed Under: Legal Issues

It seems that almost daily we hear that one or another patent case involving QCOM is settling out. But the news from Thursday might be of substantially more importance; this settlement might really matter.  

Microsoft's high-profile attack on Google is surely a PR move, but that does not change the underlying reality: Google's Book Search project is illegal, and Google is ultimately going to have to pay for the infringement it commits.

-Name Brands vs, Knock-Offs: Strategies and Counter-Strategies -Vulnerabilities of Name Brand Copyrights -Why the internet Knock-Off market will always exist

Qualcomm and Broadcom announced last week that they had settled disputes involving four patents. But these are minor settlements and they mainly clear the way for both firms to focus on the bigger battles ahead.

Can only punish Defendant on a case by case basis.When does the punishment fit the circumstances?Can there be a unified system for punitive damages?Are we really just still second guessing the jury-A judicial taboo?

Last week, QCOM and BRCM both released strange press releases describing a January court ruling.  BRCM pitched it as a big win for BRCM's WCDMA chip business. QCOM claimed BRCM was off base. The reality, no surprise, lies somewhere between.

The ITC announced today that it will delay the final appeal in the patent case involving BRCM and QCOM, adding another hearing in March before reaching a decision in May.  But make no mistake: delay or not, the odds of a meaningful exclusion order are terribly low.

Investors have so far missed the big implication of today's FTC announcement: yes, Rambus has been ordered to charge low rates for SDRAM and DDR1; but the FTC did not regulate at all the price for DDR2.  That is a huge win for Rambus.  DDR2 is the future, and Rambus' patents on point are now...

These are summary points related to the FT article and my analysis. 1. Several recent reports have called for increased deregulation as a way to promote capital market development.2. Deregulation requires institutional investors such as pension funds to be even more vigilant as corporate watchdogs.3....

Qualcomm (QCOM) continues to pursue litigation across the globe, with patent cases in the US; antitrust inquiries in Korea, the EC, and Japan; and an important looming date at the ITC. Most immediately, however, a jury is poised to rule on one of QCOM's smaller disputes with Broadcom (BRCM).