ARM has sued Qualcomm and the startup it acquired, Nuvia, claiming breach of license agreements and trademark infringement.
The 29-page complaint filed Wednesday in US District Court in Delaware said ARM, a subsidiary of Softbank Group Corp., seeks unspecified punitive damages, attorneys’ fees, and an order prohibiting the use of Arm’s trademarked technology.
“Qualcomm and Nuvia have continued working on Nuvia’s implementation of ARM architecture in violation of Arm’s rights as the creator and licensor of its technology”, the lawsuit said.
An ARM spokesman said: “We will work vigorously to protect what is rightfully ours and we are confident that the courts will agree with us.”
The main problem is Qualcomm’s 2021 purchase of Nuvia, the chip startup, for $1.4 billion. The complaint said Nuvia developed chip designs using ARM licenses and they can’t be transferred to Qualcomm without permission. ARM alleges the license agreement ended in February after a series of failed negotiations.
ARM said it is suffering irreparable harm to its name, reputation, and goodwill because of the actions of the defendants.
The complaint said ARM is seeking an injunction that would require Qualcomm to destroy designs developed under Nuvia’s previous licence agreements.
