Intel in big trouble?

[xsnv]

Found this while browsing. I think it's worth a read

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061012-7968.html

Intel has infringed on Transmeta patents with basically all its processors since the Pentium 3, according to a patent infringement lawsuit filed by Transmeta yesterday. The plaintiff, which is known for its low-power very long instruction word (VLIW) Crusoe and Efficeon processors, claims Intel is violating 10 Transmeta patents pertaining to processor architectures and power-efficient designs. Transmeta seeks not only an injunction to bar Intel from selling Pentium 4, Pentium M, Core, and Core 2 processors, but also monetary damages and royalties on infringing products.

The guys over at Ars Technica have taken a look at Transmeta's patents and found the ones upon which Intel is claimed to have infringed. The patents cover "adaptive power control," x86 address translation, instruction scheduling, and possibly even any implementation of the MMX instruction set. As Ars says, if the lawsuit doesn't go Intel's way, the company might find it cheaper to just buy out Transmeta than to settle or pay damages and royalties.

 

[BigglesPiP]

I think this is mostly a publicist excersize for Transmeta.


And possibly a way to recoup their losses of $16-33m this year.

 

[Explicit]

Intel has infringed on Transmeta patents with basically all its processors since the Pentium 3, according to a patent infringement lawsuit filed by Transmeta yesterday.

So why did they wait so long to take action...?

 

[Day03]

more royalties to collect now

 

[Cyber-Mav]

intel will just buy them out. it saves a lot of hassle.

 

[Duke]

intel will just buy them out. it saves a lot of hassle.

the answer most problems

 

[Silver]

the answer most problems

if you are a big company like Intel is than yes!!

 

[Hades]

Most large companies like Intel collect defensive patents. So when threatened by something like this they simply counter-threaten with something else.