MediaTek and Qualcomm Clarify Their Releationship
MediaTek and Qualcomm provided a joint public statement regarding their relationship and agreements between them.
The companies clarified that neither MediaTek nor Qualcomm has lodged any complaint against the other - formally, informally, or otherwise - to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), or any other government agency in any country.
Regarding the patent agreements that MediaTek and Qualcomm entered into roughly four years ago, the companies said that those "have not been abolished, repealed, or terminated." However, MediaTek and Qualcomm have recently agreed to amend those agreements in certain ways, as well as to suspend certain portions of those agreements.
Under those amendments, the contractual provisions relating to MediaTek reporting information to Qualcomm regarding MediaTek's sales of CDMA and WCDMA chipsets have been amended. The particular amendments to MediaTek's reporting obligations were not disclosed.
The original agreements between MediaTek and Qualcomm were not, and the amended agreements are not, "license" (or "licensing") agreements. MediaTek does not have a license to any of Qualcomm's patents, and Qualcomm does not have a license to any of MediaTek's patents.
The amended agreements do not prohibit either Qualcomm or MediaTek from selling chipsets to any customer. Under the amended agreements, neither Qualcomm nor MediaTek receives any patent rights of each other that can be conveyed to another party.
Finally, the patent agreements between MediaTek and Qualcomm (including the recent amendments) are not intended to change any obligation (including any reporting or royalty obligations) any customer may have under any agreement with Qualcomm or MediaTek. Compared to customers of other chipset suppliers, MediaTek customers are under no different obligations with respect to any license agreements they may have with Qualcomm or with respect to the need to license any Qualcomm patents that they may use in their products. Likewise, compared to customers of other chipset suppliers, Qualcomm customers are under no different obligations with respect to any license agreements they may have with MediaTek or with respect to the need to license any MediaTek patents that they may use in their products.
The terms of the amended agreements are confidential, the companies concluded.
Regarding the patent agreements that MediaTek and Qualcomm entered into roughly four years ago, the companies said that those "have not been abolished, repealed, or terminated." However, MediaTek and Qualcomm have recently agreed to amend those agreements in certain ways, as well as to suspend certain portions of those agreements.
Under those amendments, the contractual provisions relating to MediaTek reporting information to Qualcomm regarding MediaTek's sales of CDMA and WCDMA chipsets have been amended. The particular amendments to MediaTek's reporting obligations were not disclosed.
The original agreements between MediaTek and Qualcomm were not, and the amended agreements are not, "license" (or "licensing") agreements. MediaTek does not have a license to any of Qualcomm's patents, and Qualcomm does not have a license to any of MediaTek's patents.
The amended agreements do not prohibit either Qualcomm or MediaTek from selling chipsets to any customer. Under the amended agreements, neither Qualcomm nor MediaTek receives any patent rights of each other that can be conveyed to another party.
Finally, the patent agreements between MediaTek and Qualcomm (including the recent amendments) are not intended to change any obligation (including any reporting or royalty obligations) any customer may have under any agreement with Qualcomm or MediaTek. Compared to customers of other chipset suppliers, MediaTek customers are under no different obligations with respect to any license agreements they may have with Qualcomm or with respect to the need to license any Qualcomm patents that they may use in their products. Likewise, compared to customers of other chipset suppliers, Qualcomm customers are under no different obligations with respect to any license agreements they may have with MediaTek or with respect to the need to license any MediaTek patents that they may use in their products.
The terms of the amended agreements are confidential, the companies concluded.
