Qualcomm postpones earnings pending possible Broadcom settlement

Qualcomm postponed the release of its second-quarter earnings report pending negotiations with arch-rival Broadcom, which Qualcomm described as "a global settlement of all disputes between the parties." If reached, the settlement would be a landmark in the relationship between the two chipmakers, which have been engaged in a legal tit-for-tat over patents for years.

Qualcomm said in a release that there was no guarantee it would reach a settlement with Broadcom, but that if it did, the move would have an impact on its financial results. Thus, Qualcomm has rescheduled its earnings conference call for 5 a.m. PT on April 27.

The two California-based companies have been locked for years in drawn-out, saga-like patent struggles in court and in disputes before the U.S. International Trade Commission. The companies have locked horns over digital video patents, EV-DO technologies and other disputes.

This would not be the first time Qualcomm has set aside bitter history with a rival in the wireless space. Qualcomm and Nokia buried the hatchet last July and entered into a new, 15-year patent agreement that effectively settled all litigation between the companies. Since then, the two companies announced a partnership to bring next-generation mobile devices to the North American market.

For more:
- see this release [1]
- see this article [2]

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