News Article
Powerchip Semiconductor settles litigation with MOSAID
Dispute is now resolved with three of four defendants in patent infringement lawsuit.
MOSAID Technologies announced the settlement of its patent infringement litigation, and the signing of a patent license agreement, with Powerchip Semiconductor Corporation of Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Under the terms of the license agreement, Powerchip has been granted a five year, running royalty license under MOSAID's patents for all of its non foundry Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) and Pseudo Static Random Access Memory (PSRAM) products. Financial details of the agreement are confidential.
MOSAID initiated patent infringement litigation with Powerchip and two other defendants, ProMOS Technologies of Hsinchu, Taiwan, and Micron Technology of Boise, Idaho, in July 2006. Mosel Vitelic, also of Hsinchu, Taiwan, was added as a fourth defendant to the complaint in November 2006. On February 4, 2008, MOSAID announced settlements with ProMOS and Mosel Vitelic. ProMOS was granted a six year, royalty bearing license under MOSAID's patents. Mosel Vitelic, which no longer manufactures DRAM products, paid MOSAID a single, lump sum amount for past shipments. Micron remains the sole defendant in the case.
"We are pleased that Powerchip decided to settle this litigation and sign a patent license agreement with us," said John Lindgren, president and chief executive officer, MOSAID. "With this settlement, we have successfully reached agreement with three of the four companies involved in this litigation, and as a result have now licensed approximately 90% of the global commodity DRAM market to our patents."
"MOSAID has now signed renewable, term based, royalty bearing patent licenses with all five of the major semiconductor memory companies in Taiwan, which has emerged as a major centre of worldwide DRAM production," said Michael Vladescu, vice president, licensing and intellectual property, MOSAID. "With MOSAID's ongoing development of new memory technology, we expect to license our intellectual property to companies around the world, including renewing our term licenses with current licensees."
Under the terms of the license agreement, Powerchip has been granted a five year, running royalty license under MOSAID's patents for all of its non foundry Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) and Pseudo Static Random Access Memory (PSRAM) products. Financial details of the agreement are confidential.
MOSAID initiated patent infringement litigation with Powerchip and two other defendants, ProMOS Technologies of Hsinchu, Taiwan, and Micron Technology of Boise, Idaho, in July 2006. Mosel Vitelic, also of Hsinchu, Taiwan, was added as a fourth defendant to the complaint in November 2006. On February 4, 2008, MOSAID announced settlements with ProMOS and Mosel Vitelic. ProMOS was granted a six year, royalty bearing license under MOSAID's patents. Mosel Vitelic, which no longer manufactures DRAM products, paid MOSAID a single, lump sum amount for past shipments. Micron remains the sole defendant in the case.
"We are pleased that Powerchip decided to settle this litigation and sign a patent license agreement with us," said John Lindgren, president and chief executive officer, MOSAID. "With this settlement, we have successfully reached agreement with three of the four companies involved in this litigation, and as a result have now licensed approximately 90% of the global commodity DRAM market to our patents."
"MOSAID has now signed renewable, term based, royalty bearing patent licenses with all five of the major semiconductor memory companies in Taiwan, which has emerged as a major centre of worldwide DRAM production," said Michael Vladescu, vice president, licensing and intellectual property, MOSAID. "With MOSAID's ongoing development of new memory technology, we expect to license our intellectual property to companies around the world, including renewing our term licenses with current licensees."
