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Technology Stocks : Qualcomm Moderated Thread - please read rules before posting -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: slacker711 who wrote (57939)	12/22/2006 9:12:04 AM
From: carranza2	Respond to of 197634

that is an extra 10,000 hours of attorney work at $500 an hour! That's a very nice hourly rate. They are paid in the US only to senior associates and partners who are nationally recognized in their specialties, though partners probably command more. The increased legal expense is a clue to me, though not a very strong one, that the legal costs in Europe are ramping up big time. Not only are the hourly rates higher there, the exchange rate is very unfavorable at present. There is litigation at the EU and in France, Italy, the UK, and Germany, if I recall correctly.

To: slacker711 who wrote (57939)	12/22/2006 9:19:25 AM
From: JeffreyHF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 197634

Re: legal expenses Attorney fees around the world are only one component.Additionally, there are huge expenses and fees incurred by engineering, economic, and other experts,and for travel, lodging, copying, stenographic, and other costs of complex litigation.As for whether they are ultimately "justified", the litigation and regulatory systems are inherently unpredictable. While winning the most important battles is crucial, the costs of losing are even greater - same fees and expenses, plus decline in future growth. So far the market has Qualcomm pegged as the underdog. That`s the "line" where the bets are being wagered. One faction will be proven right, one wrong. When the outcome is announced or more forseeable, the money will be moved around quite quickly.

To: slacker711 who wrote (57939)	12/22/2006 3:31:38 PM
From: estatemakr	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 197634

It seems to me that this current "situation" - i.e. depressed stock price and significantly increased legal expenditures begs another fundamental question of fairness and what is the "right" thing to do. QCOM should have or find a way to "reward" those licensees who do not cause them "grief", pay their royalties without a bunch of hassles, etc., etc., and do it in a way that is public or known within the industry, so as to serve as an example to those "folks" like Nokia and Broadcom. Why not reward your best customers with pricing discounts or some other means???? It certainly happens in many other industries such as construction, etc. Why not set up a means by which your best customers can better prosper along with you??? But then, how exactly can you do that and still remain FRANDLY ???? Doing so would seem to be in the long-term interests of QCOM shareholders. Making your best "partners" stronger within their respective niche would be a good thing I suspect!!