ITC Rules Against SiRF, for Broadcom

June 16, 2008 - By GPS World Staff

Broadcom Corp. says the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) rejected claims by GPS chip maker SiRF Technology, which alleged that Global Locate infringed upon two of its patents. Furthermore, the ITC also found that SiRF’s asserted claims on one of the patents at issue were invalid, according to Broadcom.

Broadcom acquired Global Locate in July 2007; the patent dispute stems back at least to 2006, when SiRF also took Global Locate to task in federal district court; it in turn counter-sued. Those suits were stayed pending the ITC ruling. ITC Administrative Law Judge Paul Luckern issued his initial determination Friday, June 13, following a six-day trial last March in Washington, D.C.

Broadcom also has its own claims against SiRF before the ITC, having filed six claims of patent infringement; that trial took place in April of 2008. An initial determination in that case, heard before Administrative Law Judge Carl Charneski, should come on August 8, 2008, according to the company.

Broadcom also filed a lawsuit in May 2008 in federal district court, claiming infringement of four patents.