Week In Review

Friday, Aug. 29

A judge ordered Qualcomm Inc. to offer support services for many 3G cell phones and to pay the profits earned from its QChat walkie-talkie phones to Broadcom Corp., ruling that revenue associated with version 3.0 of the software was subject to royalties.

U.S. District Judge James Selna deemed Qualcomm in contempt of a Dec. 31 order that he had issued to prohibit Qualcomm from infringing on three Broadcom patents.

“Qualcomm’s conduct demonstrates a startling lack of respect for its competitors’ intellectual property,” a Broadcom spokesman said.

Qualcomm officials said they were unable to estimate how much money the San Diego wireless giant owed Broadcom for profits from the QChat product line.

In 2007, a jury concluded that Qualcomm had infringed on Broadcom’s patents and awarded $19.6 million in damages.

A Qualcomm spokesman said the company intends to comply with the ruling but also plans to appeal.

, Richard Gincel

Wednesday, Sept. 3

Applying Themselves:
SAIC said that it had second-quarter net income of $109 million, or 27 cents per diluted share, on revenue of $2.5 billion. The quarter ended July 31.

One year ago, SAIC had quarterly net income of $131 million, or 31 cents per diluted share, on revenue of $2.2 billion.

Operating income in the latest quarter was reduced by $6 million as a result of a civil judgment in favor of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the company said.

SAIC provides research and technology services, largely to the U.S. government.

, Brad Graves

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Damage Award In 2004 Crash:
San Diego Gas & Electric Co. must pay $49.6 million to the families of four Marines who were killed in a 2004 helicopter crash at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, a San Diego Superior Court jury decided.

The helicopter struck a utility tower while flying in Talega Canyon, near San Clemente, at night. The families sued SDG & E;, alleging that the tower should have had lights or markers.

SDG & E; said in a statement that while it sympathized with the families, it “respectfully disagreed” with the jury verdict and that it plans to appeal.

, Brad Graves

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On Par With Last Quarter:
Callaway Golf Co. said that it will pay a 7 cent per share dividend to shareholders of record Sept. 18. The dividend is unchanged from last quarter. Callaway, based in Carlsbad, makes golf clubs, balls and accessories.

, Brad Graves

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Next Stop, Phoenix:
Gaylord Entertainment, still planning to build a $1 billion convention center and hotel in Chula Vista, said it entered into a land purchase agreement for 100 acres at the Mesa Proving Grounds, next to Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport, to create an anchor resort and convention center.

The seller is an affiliate of DMB Associates Inc., the Phoenix-based developer of Santaluz in San Diego County and other major housing tracts in the nation.

In addition to Gaylord’s convention center, the project would feature a Westcor retail development, a Tom Fazio-designed golf course, Class A office space, and residential units.

Nashville, Tenn.-based Gaylord, operator of four convention center resorts near Nashville, Dallas, Orlando, Fla., and Washington, D.C., has been working with the city of Chula Vista and the San Diego Unified Port District on the Chula Vista bay-front project for more than two years. Public comment on an environmental report for the city’s bay front closed last month. The port plans to certify the report by December, and then have it reviewed by the State Lands Commission and California Coastal Commission in 2009, according to a spokeswoman.

, Mike Allen