Nokia files patent case against Qualcomm

Nokia, the world's biggest maker of mobile phones, filed a patent exhaustion case against Qualcomm in Germany and the Netherlands.

Should Nokia's claim succeed, Qualcomm would be prevented from enforcing its respective patents in Europe in relation to Nokia handsets incorporating chips made by Texas Instruments Inc., the Espoo, Finland-based company said today in an e-mailed statement.

Nokia and San Diego-based Qualcomm are involved in several legal cases against each other in the U.S. and Europe. Nokia and other mobile-phone companies want to lower the royalties they pay to Qualcomm for so-called third-generation phones, arguing it doesn't have enough intellectual property in the newest technology. The Finnish company's current license agreement with Qualcomm expires on April 9.

The complaints were filed in the Regional Court of Mannheim in Germany and in the Hague District Court in the Netherlands. Rulings are expected in six to nine months and by September, respectively, Nokia said.

Nokia shares rose 14 cents, or 0.9 percent, to 16.55 euros as of 1:08 p.m. in Helsinki. Qualcomm, which ranks as the second- biggest maker of mobile-phone chips after Texas Instruments, fell 2 cents to $43.68 in New York on March 16.