To Infineon and beyond: licensing, litigating and protecting

01-08-2010

As the second-largest semiconductor chipmaker in Europe, Infineon has developed a bold strategy to protect its intellectual property. WIPR talks to Michael Tierney, the company’s principal licensing attorney.

Technological advances in the semiconductor industry are of inestimable value to Infineon Technologies AG. Infineon employs around 25,000 people on four continents, supporting a company in which IP is paramount. Infineon’s patent portfolios are accessible via crosslicensing, while it develops its own technology in an industry where no one company owns all the IP. Infineon navigates this industry by being technically aware and protective of its assets.

Protect and litigate

Infineon’s main product lines focus on semiconductor devices—miniaturised transistor chips made typically out of silicon—and their applications. Most notably, Infineon has applied its semiconductor expertise to communications technology such as mobile phone products, while it also stretches to energy efficiency, with DC-to-DC power management integrated circuits.


Infineon, IP protection, technology

WIPR