Important news:
Intel files suit against Taiwan's Via over Pentium 4 chip set patents
By Mark LaPedus
Semiconductor Business News
(09/07/01 14:34 p.m. EST)
siliconstrategies.com
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Intel Corp. here today filed its long-awaited suit against Taiwan's Via Technologies Inc., claiming that Via infringed upon Intel's Pentium 4-based chip set patents.
The suit, filed today in the U.S. District Court of Delaware, claims that Via and its S3 Graphics Inc. subsidiary infringed upon five of Intel's patents in its recently introduced Pentium 4-complaint chip set line, dubbed the P4X266 and P4M266. The P4X266 is a chip set designed for desktop PCs based on the Pentium 4 processor, while the P4M266 is used for mobile applications.
By selling these new chip sets in the market, Via is causing "irreparable harm" to Intel, according to the suit. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based chip giant is seeking unspecified damages from Taipei-based Via.
Intel's move did not surprise analysts. Via initially unveiled its P4X266 at Taiwan's Computex trade show in Taipei during in early June. But unlike its core logic rivals in Taiwan and elsewhere--including Acer Laboratories, ATI, and Silicon Integrated Systems--Via did not obtain a Pentium 4-based chip set license from Intel.
Via insisted that an older Intel cross-licensing agreement brokered by S3 Graphics--now a Via subsidiary--was applicable to future Intel buses.
At the time, Intel disagreed but the company did not clearly state what action it would take against Via when the product appeared on the market. During Computex, ntel chief executive officer Craig Barrett said any company introducing a product compatible with or using Intel's intellectual property should be "very careful" if it doesn't have a license. |
