Investor A,
Some true, some maybe not! The infringement on the DEC patent was resolved in DEC's favor, and Intel had to BUY the Alpha chip and fab plant as part of the settlement! Apparently at one of the computer conferences that Intel and DEC were at, DEC was explaining their method of chip operation, and the adaptation onto the Intel chip was too close, and called patent infringement.
Nowhere in the article that I read explained what Cyrix was complaining about. I think that Intel had licensed Cyrix to manufacturer a 486 'look alike', but I didn't know of any infringement. With the licensing information that Cyrix had for the manufacture for the 486, it wouldn't be much of a stretch to say that the power management developed independently at the same time.
I have friends that work for Intel, and have worked there for several years, and in talking with them, I believe that Intel has some projects that are totally Intels! That is not to say that when the chips appear, another won't claim that the idea was stolen! The same idea can be developed in different parts of the world, and the patent goes to the first one registered. Alexander Graham Bell received his patent 30 minutes before a patent for the telephone would have been granted to another, and they were thousands of miles apart!
JMHO,
Ken |
