BlackBerry wins something for once: $815M from Qualcomm

From CNET: BlackBerry won an $814.9 million award from chipmaker Qualcomm refunding royalty payments, the phone maker said Wednesday.

The award, the result of an arbitration process to settle their case, effectively ends the licensing dispute between the two companies. They were fighting over whether Blackberry's royalties to Qualcomm should be included in an agreement that caps some licensing payments. In other words, should BlackBerry get money back for paying too much?

In a statement, Qualcomm said it disagrees. But it acknowledged the ruling is binding and can't be appealed. The arbitration ruling "has no impact on agreements with any other licensee," Qualcomm said.

Qualcomm is also embroiled in a licensing lawsuit with Apple.

The award is a win for BlackBerry, which has grappled with its diminished stature in the mobile phone market for years. After once controlling nearly a fifth of phone sales in 2009, BlackBerry powers less than half a percent of phones, in a market dominated by Google with its Android system and Apple's iPhone.

The $814.9 million award is preliminary; as part of the arbitration process, the final award will be set at an upcoming hearing that will add in interest and attorneys' fees.

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