September 1, 2022
Arm Ltd has sued Qualcomm for breach of contract and trademark infringement in an attempt to get Qualcomm to dismantle samples created under Nuvia’s licensing agreements with Arm.
This is necessary because its authorization was required before it merged with Qualcomm following Qualcomm’s $1.4 billion acquisition of Nuvia last year.
In 2019, Arm granted Nuvia permission to modify and design custom cores centered on Arm’s chosen architecture. They were issued on certain terms and could not be transferred without permission. Despite the need for permission,
Qualcomm is said to have transferred the license to a recently formed company after acquiring Nuvia. As a result, Arm seeks the destruction of certain Nuvia designs, an injunction against trademark infringement, and appropriate compensation for trademark infringement.
Qualcomm’s General Counsel, Ann Chaplin, said Arm’s complaint neglects reality because Qualcomm has broad, well-established approvals for its custom-designed CPUs.
If Arm prevails, the ban on the use of the Arm architecture could delay or derail Qualcomm’s intention to return to the server chip market.
The sources for this piece include an article in Reuters.
