Nokia seeks U.S. ban of Qualcomm imports

HELSINKI, Finland -- Nokia Corp., the world's largest mobile phone maker, said Friday it has asked the U.S. to ban imports of chipsets made by Qualcomm Inc. along with phones and other products made with those chipsets.

In asking the U.S. International Trade Commission to start an investigation, Nokia claimed that Qualcomm has engaged in unfair trade practices by infringing on Nokia's patents. A 2001 licensing agreement between the two companies, which have been embroiled in a dispute over royalty fees, expired in April.

"We are taking this action to stop Qualcomm's practice of copying Nokia's patented technology, without permission and making these innovations available to its chipset customers," Chief Financial Officer Rick Simonson said.

Nokia's complaint is part of a multinational legal battle with Qualcomm, the world's No. 2 chipmaker for mobile phones. The announcement comes two months after the same commission banned U.S. imports of new cell phones made with Qualcomm semiconductors because the chips violate a patent held by rival chipmaker Broadcom Corp.

Qualcomm declined to comment on specifics of Nokia's complaint but said it was part of a broader licensing dispute. Nokia is seeking to pay less for rights to Qualcomm technology than it did under the expired 2001 agreement.

"Qualcomm is attempting to reach a settlement with Nokia in the most straightforward and timely fashion, ensuring both sides get a fair, competitive deal," Qualcomm spokeswoman Bertha Agia said. "This is why we are attempting to resolve the core issues through arbitration rather than through further litigation."