Irvine-based Broadcom Corp.’s move to take legal action against Qualcomm Inc. in a technology dispute has the San Diego chip designer weighing litigation of its own, the company said Wednesday.
Broadcom on Tuesday said it filed a lawsuit against Qualcomm, alleging its licensing and other practices related to wireless technology and products violate antitrust laws.
Qualcomm rejected the charges in a statement on Wednesday, saying its “licensing practices are lawful, fair, reasonable and pro-competitive.”
Broadcom’s antitrust lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, follows patent infringement and fair trade complaints made by Broadcom against Qualcomm that were disclosed in May.
Broadcom said Qualcomm has abused the wireless technology standards-setting process, failed to license technology for cell phone standards on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms, amid other charges.
The chipmaker asked the court for monetary damages and seeks to bar what it calls Qualcomm’s “unfair business practices.”
It’s not the first time the chipmaker has gone after Qualcomm. In June Broadcom said that the U.S. International Trade Commission is looking into whether rival Qualcomm has engaged in unfair trade practices. The inquiry is the result of a 54-page complaint Broadcom filed in May.
In the complaint, Broadcom had asked the ITC to bar U.S. imports of Qualcomm-related products made in Taiwan. The chip company also is looking for a permanent order to bar the U.S. imports of those products.
In April, Broadcom filed two complaints in federal court that alleged Qualcomm violated patents on Broadcom chips.
Broadcom sought damages and an injunction in the sale of those chips.
