Stay issued in Nokia-Qualcomm suit

Feels like this little soap opera has been going on now since the beginning of recorded history, and the latest move suggest it's nowhere close to over. As a refresher, Nokia and Qualcomm have been locked in a spat over GSM itself -- which Qualcomm claims utilizes a variety of its patents, though the good souls at the firm have now reduced their claim from six patents to three -- and since Nokia has refused to shell out a red cent in response to the claims, it's put a strain on the two companies' efforts to come to a new licensing agreement on CDMA and WCDMA. The latest move by the US International Trade Commission effectively pauses litigation, though Nokia claims it "is not aware of the exact reasons for the decision." Whether arbitration on CDMA / WCDMA licensing is still in the cards is unknown, but as far as we can tell, Qualcomm will not get to halt Nokia's GSM sales in the US (whew, close one!).