Telecommunications chip maker Broadcom Corp. said Friday that it had won an initial ruling against rival SiRF Technology Holdings for violating six patents covering technology designed for global positioning systems.

The infringement has occurred in several SiRF products, according to Broadcom.

A SiRF spokeswoman declined to comment Friday.

Broadcom said U.S. International Trade Commission Judge Carl C. Charneski made an initial determination in its favor, based on a trial that occurred earlier in the year. A final decision by a six-person panel is expected before the end of the year.

In June, another ITC judge had rejected SiRF's allegations that Broadcom had been infringing on two of its patents.

"We are pleased that in two separate patent cases in front of two different ITC judges Broadcom has prevailed at trial, with rulings that support our position that SiRF infringes our intellectual property but that we do not infringe theirs," said David Rosmann, Broadcom's vice president of intellectual property.

SiRF's shares dropped 21 cents, or 6.5 percent, in extended trading Friday after finishing the regular session at $3.21, up 7 cents. Broadcom's stock added 14 more cents in extended trading after gaining 57 cents to close at $26.01.

With $3.8 billion in annual revenue, Irvine, Calif.-based Broadcom is far larger than San Jose, Calif.-based SiRF, which had revenue of $329 million last year.

Source: AP News