Samsung files new lawsuit against Netlist in computer-memory patent fight

Netlist

11/10/2023 22:36

* 
      Samsung asks court to find its memory modules do not
infringe
Netlist patent
    

        * 
      Netlist won $303 million from Samsung jury verdict over
related
patents
    

  
    By Blake Brittain
       Oct 11 (Reuters) - Samsung  SMELA.UL  has asked a
Delaware federal court to rule that it did not violate Netlist's
 NLST.PK  patent rights in an ongoing dispute with the
computer-memory company, which has already won more than $300
million from Samsung in a separate case over technology used in
high-performance computing.
    In a lawsuit made public on Tuesday, Samsung asked the court
to rule that its "memory modules" used in servers and other
computer systems do not infringe a Netlist memory patent or to
find that Netlist broke an obligation to offer it a license on
fair terms.
    An attorney for Samsung declined to comment on the lawsuit
on Wednesday. Representatives for Netlist did not immediately
respond to a request for comment.
    Netlist has accused Samsung of infringing other
memory-related patents in Texas, Delaware and Germany. An East
Texas jury awarded Netlist more than $303 million in damages in
April after finding that Samsung's memory modules for
high-performance computing infringed several Netlist patents
related to data processing. 
    South Korea-based Samsung asked the Delaware court to find
that its memory modules do not infringe a Netlist patent issued
last year covering a method of "handshaking" between memory
controllers. Samsung argued that its technology works
differently than Netlist's patented technology.
    Samsung also requested an unspecified amount of damages from
Netlist for violating agreements that require patent owners to
offer fair licenses for technology that a device must
incorporate to comply with international standards, like
Bluetooth or 5G. Netlist has argued that its patent is necessary
for a standard related to semiconductor memory products.
    Irvine, California-based Netlist has also accused Google
 GOOGL.O  and Micron Technology  MU.O  of infringing its patents
in ongoing cases. It settled a related dispute with SK Hynix
 000660.KS  in 2021.    
    The case is Samsung Electronics Co Ltd v. Netlist Inc, U.S.
District Court for the District of Delaware, No. 1:23-cv-01122.
    For Samsung: Brian Nester, Peter Swanson and Alice Ahn of
Covington & Burling
    For Netlist: Not yet available
    
    Read more:
    Samsung hit with $303 million jury verdict in
computer-memory patent lawsuit

 (Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington)