Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

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

To: planetsurf who wrote (76315)	4/15/2008 12:02:51 PM
From: estatemakr	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 196724

Speaking of inept legal counsel, during times like these, I imagine Nokia could really benefit from General Counsel. Wonder how the search is going?? hs.fi I wonder how Louise is doing in the interim? Would have been interesting to hear her speak at this conference a couple of months ago. eurocomms.com

To: planetsurf who wrote (76315)	4/15/2008 5:16:16 PM
From: Maurice Winn	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 196724

We already know what the Kroes Klutz Klan will say: <I would also add that they are stalling to see what their friend Neelie Kroes in the EC has to say. > 1.....Qualcomm is an American company 2.....Qualcomm has got many $billions 3.....Everyone in Europe wants to use Qualcomm inventions 4.....Neelie is the boss and likes to get LOTS of money and show who is the boss. 5....."The market" as defined narrowly enough is a monopoly [as are all "markets" and indeed every single transaction if defined narrowly enough] 6.....Qualcomm is charging too much money [proof is their big stack of money and that European companies and people want to "buy" the Qualcomm stuff at a lower price]. 7.....Microsoft tried to charge 5% too and she showed them a thing or two. Not even 1% was acceptable. So Qualcomm is going to get it, good and hard. Neelie will slash payments to Qualcomm in Europe, and take the "excessive" profits over the last few years as a fine. Microsoft's fine of over $1billion is the starting point for Qualcomm. It's not just the actual profits, it's also to punish the "bad behaviour" of greedy Mqurice wanting to sell his products for "excessive" prices. She won't even think of the $100 billion the governments in Europe got just for 2GHz spectrum which was only valuable because the amazing world of mobile CDMA could be used in it. She won't consider that if the governments got $100 billion, perhaps Qualcomm was selling the enabling technology too cheap. She won't consider that the governments have the monopoly that matters which is state power and state spectrum. Then the governments are taxing each euro that goes through that spectrum by way of income tax on the people working in the industry, taxes applied directly to the sale of handsets, minutes and megabytes, taxes on the land on which the towers sit. Town planning taxes for approval to install antennas. Taxes taxes taxes all over the industry. All that is irrelevant. Mqurice is greedy according to them!! I say the royalty rate is derisory. They have the power. Therefore they will simply take the money. Guaranteed. Bad luck Mqurice. State bludgers are a law of nature. Electorates get the governments they deserve. They vote for more of the same. They get it, good and hard. American politicians had better defend their cash flow from Qualcomm against the depredations of Neelie. Nokia does want to sell around the world and they need an agreement with Qualcomm. So perhaps they'll agree to be sensible after all and Neelie will then be looking at a just-concluded agreement which will mean Qualcomm was obviously NOT over-charging. That will be tricky for her. When will Nokia cave in? I say the last minute before Judge Strine lowers the boom. Nokia hopes Neelie will do her thing before then. I forget the timing of the Kroes Klutz Klan's decision process. Like any common garden-variety thieves, they have to grab while the grabbing is good. They definitely won't be offering to share their windfall spectrum profits with Qualcomm who undercharged for the enabling technology. Greed knows no bounds. She wants more! More!! MORE!!! MORE!!! Total dividends to shareholders so far from QUALCOMM in quarter of a century = a few $billion. The rest has gone into more R&D and customer services. Already, just in Europe, governments have collected $100 billion in spectrum, plus taxes on the umpty $billion in revenue, for a total of about $200 billion and the party is just getting going. And they call me greedy? Then there is the rest of the world outside Europe, where Qualcomm's technology is mostly used. Qualcomm has created $trillions in value for people around the world. Mqurice