IV resolves patent dispute with Microsemi
Non-practising entity Intellectual Ventures (IV) resolved its two-year patent infringement case with chip manufacturer Microsemi on Monday.
The companies reached a settlement agreement that ends all pending patent infringement litigation and makes Microsemi licensee of parts of IV’s patent portfolio.
IV filed against Microsemi, Altera and Lattice Semiconductor in 2010 for infringement of patents relating to Field-Programmable Gate Array logic chips.
Microsemi makes technologies for a variety of industries, and specialises in integrated circuits. It has its own patent portfolio of semiconductor solutions.
Microsemi is the fifth company to have reached resolution with IV in recent months. IV most recently ended disputes relating to different technologies with Olympus, SK Hynix, Elpida and McAfee.
In a statement, vice president and chief litigation counsel for IV Melissa Finocchio said: “In the past 12 years, IV has assembled a world-class patent portfolio and this settlement is further confirmation of the strength of our assets.”
IV’s claims against Altera and Lattice Semiconductor remain open.
IV was founded by former Microsfot chief technology officer Nathan Myhrvold in 2000. It is reputedly the world’s largest NPE, claiming more than 40,000 IP assets and $5bn in venture capital.
In August last year, CNET reported on the University of California’s Hastings School of Law research into IV’s assets and business structure.
It estimated that a 10-year fund of $5bn can only be successful if IV generates $40bn of revenue through licensing, partnerships and litigation.
IV and Microsemi did not respond to requests to comment.
Click here for the original complaint.
