An administrative law judge of the US International Trade Commission (ITC) has made an initial determination of SiRF's infringement of the six patents, and the ITC's final judgment is scheduled for late December 2008, the sources indicated. Broadcom has requested the ITC places a ban on the sale of GPS devices equipped with the suspect GPS chipsets in the US market, the sources pointed out.

Mitac uses SiRF chipsets in nearly 80% of its products, the sources indicated.

If the ITC upholds the initial judgment, an order prohibiting sales in the US is expected to come into force in February 2009 at the earliest, the sources indicated. Thus, Mitac's marketing of its own-brand GPS products in the US, the company's main market, will not be affected until then, the sources analyzed.

Although SiRF has asserted that it will offer "design around" products beginning early 2009 to minimize the impact of the dispute, Mitac has decided to quit the adoption of the SiRF solutions involved in the infringement and will seek alternative solutions in an attempt to minimize possible risks, the sources pointed out.