8th Mar 09
Hynix agree to compensate Rambus
for using its technology in SDR and DDR SDRAM
Rambus has agreed in principle to terms for a compulsory
license with Hynix Semiconductor for SDR SDRAM and DDR SDRAM
memory products. The both parties have agreed to royalty
rates of 1% for SDR SDRAM and 4.25% for DDR SDRAM memory
devices for net sales after January 31, 2009 and before
April 18, 2010. The latter rate applies to DDR, DDR2, DDR3,
GDDR, GDDR2 and GDDR3 SDRAM devices, as well as DDR SGRAM
devices.
"While the Court still needs to resolve some outstanding
issues, we are pleased to have reached agreement with Hynix
on a number of terms," said Thomas Lavelle, senior
vice president and general counsel at Rambus. "Our
goal as always is to seek fair compensation for the use
of our patented inventions, and this agreement will be a
significant milestone in pursuit of that goal."
This case was originally filed by Hynix against Rambus
in August 2000. Judge Whyte of the U.S. District Court for
the Northern District of California split the case into
three separate phases with Rambus subsequently prevailing
in all three phases. During the course of the case, Judge
Whyte found Rambus did not spoliate evidence as Hynix had
alleged, and a jury found Rambus patents valid and infringed
by Hynix. Judge Whyte and a separate jury also found Rambus
acted properly while a member of the standard-setting organization
JEDEC during its participation in the early 1990s.
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