Trade judge rules for Nokia over Qualcomm

By Diane Bartz

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nokia <NOK1V.HE> won a round in one of its many patent battles with chip maker Qualcomm Inc <QCOM.O> as a judge with the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled for the mobile telephone maker on Wednesday.

The complaint, which was filed in June 2006, accused Nokia of infringing on three patents that controlled power to mobile telephones. Qualcomm had asked the ITC to bar the importation of the infringing technology.

"The administrative law judge, after a review of the record developed, finds inter alia that there is jurisdiction and that there is no violation," wrote Paul Luckern, the administrative law judge who heard the case.

The ITC, which determines whether imports unfairly injure U.S. companies, must now decide if it will uphold Luckern's decision.

Qualcomm said it would continue the fight. "Under applicable ITC rules, Qualcomm intends to petition the commission for review of the ID (initial determination)," Qualcomm said in a statement.

Nokia applauded the judge's initial determination, and said it hoped it boded well for other cases pending between the two technology companies.

"Qualcomm has yet to prevail in any of the patent infringement lawsuits against Nokia," said Rick Simonson, Nokia chief financial officer, in a conference call to reporters.

Finland's Nokia and San Diego-based Qualcomm have about a dozen legal fights pending on three continents.

The two companies have been wrangling over a cross- licensing agreement for technology patents that expired in April 2007. Their expensive legal battle is worrying investors and the industry on both sides of the Atlantic.

In June, the ITC ruled that Qualcomm infringed a Broadcom Corp <BRCM.O> patent and banned imports of some new advanced cell phones using Qualcomm's chips.

(Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)