Nokia Looks for Import Ban of Qualcomm Chips

Qualcomm found itself in legal trouble yet again Friday, as Nokia said it will ask the US International Trade Commission to investigate claims of patent infringement.

Nokia says Qualcomm's chipsets infringe on five of its patents relating to CDMA2000 and GSM/WCDMA. It is asking the ITC to investigate and bar the importation into the US of these chips.

Friday's move follows another legal action against Qualcomm by Nokia in June, when it accused the company of infringing on patents related to BREW and MediaFLO technologies.

This is not the first time that a company has gone to the ITC to prevent Qualcomm from importing its products: earlier this year, Broadcom was successful in getting the regulatory body to ban the importation of phones with chips that infringed on its patents.

That patent spat could cost Sprint dearly, as it stands lose $2 billion in investments if Qualcomm cannot move forward with a technology it was developing for the company, which used technologies Broadcom apparently held patents for.

"We are seeking the same remedies Qualcomm has sought against Nokia in multiple venues around the world," chief financial officer Rick Simonson said. "Nokia will continue to ensure its rights and competitive advantage is protected."

Indeed, Qualcomm has put Nokia in its own legal crosshairs. As recently as April, it filed a lawsuit against the Finnish cell phone maker concerning infringement of patented technologies involving mobile software download and platform environments.