Samsung Electronics has been stung for greater than $303 million in a patent infringement case introduced by US reminiscence firm Netlist.
Netlist, headquartered in Irvine, California, types itself as a supplier of high-performance modular reminiscence subsystems. The corporate initially filed a criticism that Samsung had infringed on three of its patents, later amended to six [PDF]. Following a six-day trial, the jury discovered for Netlist in 5 of those and awarded a complete of $303,150,000 in damages.
The precise patents in query are 10,949,339 (‘339), 11,016,918 (‘918), 11,232,054 (‘054), 8,787,060 (‘060), and 9,318,160 (‘160). The merchandise which can be stated to infringe on these are Samsung’s DDR4 LRDIMM, DDR5 UDIMM, SODIMM, and RDIMM, plus the high-bandwidth reminiscence HBM2, HBM2E and HBM3 applied sciences.
The patents seem to use to numerous facets of DDR reminiscence modules. Based on reviews, Samsung’s representatives had argued that Netlist’s patents have been invalid as a result of they have been already coated by present expertise and that its personal reminiscence chips didn’t perform in the identical approach as described by the patents, however this clearly didn’t sway the jurors.
Nevertheless, it seems that the decision didn’t go all Netlist’s approach as a result of its attorneys had been arguing for extra damages, saying {that a} cheap royalty determine can be extra like $404 million.
Within the court filings [PDF], Netlist claims that Samsung had information of the patents in query “no later than August 2, 2021” through entry to Netlist’s patent portfolio docket.
The corporate states that Samsung and Netlist have been initially companions below a 2015 Joint Improvement and License Settlement (JDLA), which granted Samsung a five-year paid-up license to Netlist’s patents.
Samsung had used Netlist’s applied sciences to develop merchandise reminiscent of DDR4 reminiscence modules and rising new applied sciences, together with DDR5 and HBM, Netlist stated.
Underneath the phrases of the settlement, Samsung was to provide Netlist sure reminiscence merchandise at aggressive costs, however Netlist claimed Samsung repeatedly did not honor these guarantees. Consequently, Netlist claims, it terminated the JDLA on July 15, 2020.
Netlist alleged in its court docket submitting that Samsung has continued to make and promote reminiscence merchandise “with materially the identical buildings” as these referenced within the patents, regardless of the termination of the settlement.
Based on investor web site Looking for Alpha, the damages awarded are for the infringement of Netlist expertise masking solely about 5 quarters. The web site additionally stated that Netlist now has the money to not solely develop its enterprise however pursue different infringers of its expertise.
Netlist chief government CK Hong stated in a statement that the corporate was happy with the case. He claimed the decision “left little question” that Samsung had wilfully infringed Netlist patents, and is “presently utilizing Netlist expertise and not using a license” on lots of its strategic product strains.
Hong additionally claimed that it was an instance of the “brazen free experience” carried out by trade giants towards mental property belonging to small innovators.
“We hope this case serves as a reminder of this downside to policymakers in addition to a wakeup name to these within the reminiscence trade which can be utilizing our IP with out permission,” he stated.
We requested Samsung Electronics for a press release concerning the decision on this case, however didn’t hear again from the corporate on the time if publication.
Netlist can be understood to produce other circumstances pending towards Micron and Google. These towards Micron are stated to contain infringement of lots of the identical patents that have been concerned within the Samsung case. ®
