Nokia pays Qualcomm $20M, but for UMTS licensing

Yes, Nokia has paid Qualcomm $20 million for licensing technology covered by some of the chipmaker's patents, but the transaction is unrelated to the ongoing spat about WCDMA handsets. The $20 million is for licensing UMTS intellectual property used during the second quarter of 2007. Nokia CFO Rick Simonson said: "When Qualcomm's early patents become paid-up and royalty-free on April 9, Qualcomm's share of all patents relevant to Nokia UMTS handsets will significantly decrease." The date refers to this coming Monday, when Nokia's long-standing licensing agreements with Qualcomm come to an end.

For more on the Qualcomm-Nokia spat:
- see this WSJ article (sub. req.)