Sprint May Be Working Around ITC Qualcomm Ban; Qualcomm Seeks Vindication

Sprint product manager Brita Horton has told Reuters that Qualcomm had given the telco a software workaround to avoid the ban on new 3G handsets with Qualcomm chips set by the ITC earlier this month. However, another Sprint Nextel spokesperson, Matt Sullivan, told RCR News that Horton had spoken out of turn and that “There’s no software patch free of technical, procedural and legal uncertainties”. It seems there is a workaround, but it’s not perfected. The ban will start to have an effect in the fourth quarter of this year, since new 3G handsets with Qualcomm chips won’t be allowed, leaving the relevant telcos competing with old handsets.

Qualcomm is working on a workaround for its customers but is focussing on reversing the decision. The company is seeking vindication, and are seeking to “reverse a perception that the two recent legal decisions against the company have tarnished its reputation for innovation and its commitment to an aggressive defense of its own intellectual property” notes RCR News. It’s doing this throught the Federal courts and by lobbying the President for a veto. However, this last solution — while it may provide legal protection for Qualcomm — will not provide any vindication for the company, it’s more likely to increase the bitterness in the industry about Qualcomm’s licensing practices.

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