Tech Rumor of the Day: Qualcomm

Qualcomm's (QCOM Quote) secret formula -- the royalty rate used to collect fees from phone makers using Qualcomm technology -- was revealed at a recent investors' conference.

The info and the lack of immediate reaction was a bit of a shocker since the San Diego chipmaker does not disclose the specific terms of its licensing agreements. But COO Len Lauer, while speaking at a Merrill Lynch Global Technology Conference on June 3, volunteered that the royalty rate for 3G CDMA licenses is between 4% and 5%.

Stunning? Not really. ...