Alakazam
09-07-2001, 11:45 PM
Looks like we got a court date to check in on, the article posted at the Inquirer explains in better detail what this is all about:
By Mike Magee, 08/09/2001 00:03:22 BST
CHIP GIANT INTEL'S patience -- never its strongest point -- finally stretched to breaking point today (US time) and it decided to sue Via for allegedly infringing its Pentium 4 technology.
The battle is over chipsets - support semiconductors which help the "brains" of the computer, the microprocessor, figure out how to communicate with the rest of the system -- the "nervous system" and finally the "limbs" - the peripherals, or printers, monitors, keyboards, scanners, sound and the like to you and me.
Via has already launched a DDR (double data rate) chipset for the Pentium 4 called the P4X266, and also has another chipset for the Pentium 4 called the P4M266.
As we reported yesterday, a number of motherboard firms have decided to adopt its chipset as well as Intel's i845 chipset. The i845 chipset only supports SDRAM, although Intel has a DDR (double data rate) chipset readied for early next year.
The smaller CPU and chipset manufacturer has been goading Intel to sue it for weeks, although, to be fair, Intel has done its fair share of encouraging Via to goad it.
In India, Via claimed Intel had taken monopolistic action against it. In its home turf of Taipei, Via complained when Intel executives allegedly ripped down balloons and flags promoting the alternative chipset.
Today Intel said it is taking action against it for infringing five patents it claims it owns.
The five patents are U.S. Patent No. 6,145,039 for an invention entitled "Method and Apparatus for an Improved Interface Between Computer Components"; U.S. Patent No. 6,009,477 for an invention entitled "Bus Agent Providing Dynamic Pipeline Depth Control"; U.S. Patent No. 5,761,449 for an invention entitled "Bus System Providing Dynamic Control of Pipeline Depth for a Multi-Agent Computer"; U.S. Patent No. 5,615,343 for an invention entitled "Method and Apparatus for Performing Deferred Transactions "; and U.S. Patent No. 5,659,689 for an invention entitled "Method and Apparatus for Transmitting Information on a Wired-Or Bus."
Intel, confirmed a representative, is seeking injunctive relief and unspecified damages against Via on both the P4X266 and P4M266 chipsets from Via.
The action, filed at a District Course in Delaware, alleges Via has no right to make chipsets using these Pentium 4 technologies and patents which the bigger company claims it owns and Via infringes.
We suspect Via will deny it vehemently. It's on the cards, because Via has lawyers as competent as Intel's.
The background is highly complex. Via's claims to have rights to the Intel chipsets rests on both National Semiconductor (formerly Cyrix) patents, and to patents Intel wanted but which S3 snapped up from Exponential.
Exponential, a start up funded by Apple, developed chip technology, some of which appear on the face of it to be linked to current chip technologies. In a Dutch auction, S3 bought the patents which Intel had wanted to buy, and then Via started a joint venture with S3 and took around half of the company's assets, which may well give it rights to some of these patents.
As we're not patent lawyers, we can't really comment on any of these matters, but what is true is that the law suit between Via and Intel has been brewing up for months. The last time Via was sued by Chipzilla, the action was settled out of court and we still don't know exactly how the Chinese company, owned by giant petrochemical firm Formosa Plastics, and Intel, was resolved. Because they won't tell us, either of them. µ
The Inquirer
© 2001 Breakthrough
Publishing Ltd
All rights reserved.
By Mike Magee, 08/09/2001 00:03:22 BST
CHIP GIANT INTEL'S patience -- never its strongest point -- finally stretched to breaking point today (US time) and it decided to sue Via for allegedly infringing its Pentium 4 technology.
The battle is over chipsets - support semiconductors which help the "brains" of the computer, the microprocessor, figure out how to communicate with the rest of the system -- the "nervous system" and finally the "limbs" - the peripherals, or printers, monitors, keyboards, scanners, sound and the like to you and me.
Via has already launched a DDR (double data rate) chipset for the Pentium 4 called the P4X266, and also has another chipset for the Pentium 4 called the P4M266.
As we reported yesterday, a number of motherboard firms have decided to adopt its chipset as well as Intel's i845 chipset. The i845 chipset only supports SDRAM, although Intel has a DDR (double data rate) chipset readied for early next year.
The smaller CPU and chipset manufacturer has been goading Intel to sue it for weeks, although, to be fair, Intel has done its fair share of encouraging Via to goad it.
In India, Via claimed Intel had taken monopolistic action against it. In its home turf of Taipei, Via complained when Intel executives allegedly ripped down balloons and flags promoting the alternative chipset.
Today Intel said it is taking action against it for infringing five patents it claims it owns.
The five patents are U.S. Patent No. 6,145,039 for an invention entitled "Method and Apparatus for an Improved Interface Between Computer Components"; U.S. Patent No. 6,009,477 for an invention entitled "Bus Agent Providing Dynamic Pipeline Depth Control"; U.S. Patent No. 5,761,449 for an invention entitled "Bus System Providing Dynamic Control of Pipeline Depth for a Multi-Agent Computer"; U.S. Patent No. 5,615,343 for an invention entitled "Method and Apparatus for Performing Deferred Transactions "; and U.S. Patent No. 5,659,689 for an invention entitled "Method and Apparatus for Transmitting Information on a Wired-Or Bus."
Intel, confirmed a representative, is seeking injunctive relief and unspecified damages against Via on both the P4X266 and P4M266 chipsets from Via.
The action, filed at a District Course in Delaware, alleges Via has no right to make chipsets using these Pentium 4 technologies and patents which the bigger company claims it owns and Via infringes.
We suspect Via will deny it vehemently. It's on the cards, because Via has lawyers as competent as Intel's.
The background is highly complex. Via's claims to have rights to the Intel chipsets rests on both National Semiconductor (formerly Cyrix) patents, and to patents Intel wanted but which S3 snapped up from Exponential.
Exponential, a start up funded by Apple, developed chip technology, some of which appear on the face of it to be linked to current chip technologies. In a Dutch auction, S3 bought the patents which Intel had wanted to buy, and then Via started a joint venture with S3 and took around half of the company's assets, which may well give it rights to some of these patents.
As we're not patent lawyers, we can't really comment on any of these matters, but what is true is that the law suit between Via and Intel has been brewing up for months. The last time Via was sued by Chipzilla, the action was settled out of court and we still don't know exactly how the Chinese company, owned by giant petrochemical firm Formosa Plastics, and Intel, was resolved. Because they won't tell us, either of them. µ
The Inquirer
© 2001 Breakthrough
Publishing Ltd
All rights reserved.