Nokia, Qualcomm Lawsuit to Be Webcast

Nokia and Qualcomm begin a key trial on Wednesday that could bring the long-running rivals closer towards a resolution, potentially determining the fate of hundreds of millions of dollars in royalty payments and setting the tone for how technology standards bodies are created.

Such is the level of interest in both technology and legal circles, that the court case is to be broadcast via an internet webcast by Courtroom Live. The Courtroom View Network (CVN) was established in 2006 to cover newsworthy and precedent-setting legal proceedings.

The company is charging $400 for access to the daily court proceedings during the trial period.

The court will rule on two claims: Nokia's belief that Qualcomm is unfairly charging too high a fee for its patents; and Qualcomm's argument that Nokia has automatically extended their cross-licensing agreement because it continues to use the technology.

The two parties have been parrying over terms related to a 2001 patent-licensing agreement that expired in April 2007.

Posted to the site on 22nd July 2008