ARM Seeks Retrial Against Qualcomm in Nuvia Licensing Dispute Following Jury Deadlock

In a surprising development during the Qualcomm and ARM trials, a jury in a Delaware court was unable to reach a consensus regarding whether Nuvia, a company acquired by Qualcomm in 2021 for $1.4 billion, breached its licensing agreements with ARM, the British chip design powerhouse. While ARM expressed disappointment with the jury’s inability to reach a verdict, the firm remains resolute in its pursuit of a retrial, asserting that its intellectual property has been exploited without due consideration.

Potential for Amicable Resolution as Judge Encourages Settlement

To summarize the proceedings, the jury concluded that Qualcomm had not violated any of ARM’s licensing agreements. These agreements pertain to the development of the custom CPU cores, named Oryon, which are utilized in the Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus platforms. Furthermore, the jury found that Qualcomm’s existing arrangements with ARM allowed for the ongoing development of custom CPU cores acquired through its purchase of Nuvia. However, the jury’s inability to determine whether Nuvia had violated those agreements remains a critical point of contention.

“We are disappointed that the jury was unable to reach consensus across the claims. We intend to seek a retrial due to the jury’s deadlock. From the outset, our top priority has been to protect Arm’s IP and the unparalleled ecosystem we have built with our valued partners over more than 30 years. As always, we are committed to fostering innovation in our rapidly evolving market and serving our partners while advancing the future of computing.”

During the trial, Gerard Williams, co-founder of Nuvia and one of the principal architects of Qualcomm’s Oryon cores, noted that less than 1% of their proprietary designs incorporate ARM technology. Meanwhile, Qualcomm’s CEO, Christiano Amon, testified about the strategic motivations behind the Nuvia acquisition, indicating it was aimed at potentially saving $1.4 billion in licensing fees to ARM. However, the decision to acquire a firm lacking experience in creating CPU designs for mobile devices faced significant opposition from Qualcomm’s board of directors.

While Qualcomm emerged victorious in this round, ARM remains steadfast in its belief that Qualcomm breached several licensing agreements. Judge Maryellen Noreika, who oversaw the case, has recommended that the two companies seek to resolve their disputes amicably; however, given the circumstances, such an outcome appears unlikely.

For more detailed coverage, refer to the news source: CRN

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