CHICAGO -- A federal judge has tossed out the Sherman Act claims in a dispute between Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn) and Molex Inc. over a patent licensing contract between the two companies for a connector used with audiovisual equipment, but has let the other claims stand.

Judge Harry D. Leinenweber of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois ruled this week that Hon Hai had not alleged sufficient facts to state a plausible claim.