Altera sues Clear Logic, alleging unlawful use of its technology
Semiconductor Business News
(11/17/99, 10:06:10 AM EDT)
semibiznews.com
SAN JOSE -- Altera Corp. here today filed suit against Clear Logic Inc., alleging that Clear Logic is unlawfully using Altera's programmable-logic chip technology.
In the suit, filed in Federal District Court in San Jose, Altera claims that Clear Logic has unlawfully appropriated Altera's registered mask work technology in violation of the federal mask work statute and that Clear Logic has interfered with Altera's customer relations. Clear Logic, also of San Jose, has not yet responded to the Altera suit.
Clear Logic, a subsidiary of Integrated Device Technology Inc., of Santa Clara, Calif., uses lasers to configure ASIC alternatives for Altera field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) based and complex programmable logic devices (CPLD), based on the customer's programming file for the Altera product (see Jan. 20, 1998 story). These devices are fully compatible with Altera functionality, pinouts, and architectures, the company claims.
Altera's suit asks for compensatory damages, punitive damages, and an injunction to stop Clear Logic from unlawfully using Altera's technology. Altera said it is confident of victory because Clear Logic had admitted in its own literature that its technology is "identical" to Altera's.
“Clear Logic has never asked for or been given a license for the use of this technology,” Altera said in a statement. |
