pcstel,
QCOM is spinning off its chip making division, known as Spinco for now. QCOM classic will be a straight IPR company (not unlike IDC, i guess, with some small differences). Spinco will be given enough patents to be able to cross-license for the additional patents that it needs with the other companies that produce products and need Spinco patents.
What is not clear is what will happen with the IPR holding companies that do not need to cross-license because they do not produce any products. QCOM, IDC, DoCoMo come to mind. QCOM has stated they will not be in any "patent pool", and there is little reason for IDC or DoCoMo to be either.
They will likely get paid based upon patent value on top of any pooling. W-CDMA IPR is going to be massively confusing, and massively expensive. As no formal standard has yet been set for W-CDMA, these lengthy discussions have not even begun. IJ prediction of 2003 or 2004 is probably the right time frame before we will see any significant W_CDMA volume.
Again, congratulations for your IDC patent agreement with Matsushita for W-CDMA. It will likely be a positive for IDC. Its effect upon QCOM, as stated by many here, is certainly not worthy of your verbal jumping up and down and pointing fingers. To us, it is just one more confirmation of the massive expense that is going to be W-CDMA.
Two years behind CDMA 2000 1xEV, but slower and more expensive. |
