re: <<FTC could broaden Intel case. The agency is far from finished with its investigation and is conducting an even broader investigation--Unlike previous chip generations, Intel (INTC) has not licensed its P6 bus to third parties."Alternatives aren't possible if you don't have access to the bus">>
Oh really. What a bunch a whining. I counted at least five instances where companies claimed rights to the bus.
1. Chuck Mulloy, an Intel spokesman, confirmed that IBM's cross-licensing agreement with Intel is broad, covering much of the intellectual property that underlay the Pentium II and P6 bus. It could even be possible for IBM to enter into the Intel-compatible chip market with its own unique design, Belgard speculated.
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2. AMD, denied that the company will adopt a form of the P6 bus for its K6 or upcoming K7 chip. "It's possible, but forget about the legalities--we are not going to do it."
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3. Other companies that have equally broad licenses with Intel are National Semiconductor and SGS Thomson.
National has the ability to make a P6 bus, said Steve Tobak, National's vice president of corporate marketing. At the March WinHEC Conference in Orlando, Florida, he noted that it would be "theoretically possible" for National to make Pentium II-style chips with the P6 bus for itself or third parties.
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4. Toshiba may also be another. Ultimately, several chipmakers are expected to license the technology.
Analysts and sources close to Via Technologies and Acer Laboratories say that both companies may also begin to manufacture and sell Pentium II chipsets.
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5. Any of these may in the future license the P6 bus technology from Intel. Moreover, even if these companies do not get direct licenses from Intel, some are expected to try to bring P6 chipsets to market by partnering with IBM, which will insulate them from legal liability, sources said.
re: <<While an out-of-court settlement is possible, it's not likely, given that Intel sees its intellectual property as the heart of its business. >>
Oh really. Shocking!
re: <<"Most people in the trenches of IS are not concerned with equalized opportunity," said Cliff Layton, director of online services at Rogers State College, in Claremore, Okla. "But IT executives are concerned because less competition means less bang for the buck." >>
Oh really. Not enough bang for the buck? Well memory is selling for the price of a potato chip. The Disk Drive makers are losing money with each disk drive they ship. AMD/NSM are swimming in red ink, and CPQ the largest PC maker broke even last Qtr, broke even this Qtr and hinted don't expect anything in the next Qtr.
I guess that is the FTC's idea of a successful business. These guys should pack up their things and go home.
Dale |
