Chipmaker Micron Technology owes computer memory company Netlist $445 million in damages for violating Netlist’s patent rights relating to its high-performance computing memory module technology, a U.S. jury found Thursday.
Judges in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas agreed with Netlist that Micron’s semiconductor products infringed two of Netlist’s patents relating to technology that improves the capacity and performance of memory modules.
The jury also found that Micron willfully infringed the patents, which could result in the judge’s damages amount being multiplied by up to three times.
Micron representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling.
“We are grateful for the jury’s work and its recognition of the importance of Netlist’s innovation,” Netlist attorney Jason Sheasby said in a statement.
Last year, Netlist won a $303 million judgment in the same court against Samsung in a related dispute over high-performance computer memory patents.
The stock price of Boise, Idaho-based Micron has surged this year on demand for the company’s chips used to power artificial intelligence technology. Irvine, California-based Netlist sued Micron in 2022, claiming three lines of its semiconductor memory modules infringe its patents.
Micron denied the allegations and presented several defenses, including arguments that the patents were invalid.
In April, a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office tribunal invalidated one of the patents, which may ultimately reduce the verdict.
Judges in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas agreed with Netlist that Micron’s semiconductor products infringed two of Netlist’s patents relating to technology that improves the capacity and performance of memory modules.
Raise
The jury also found that Micron willfully infringed the patents, which could result in the judge’s damages amount being multiplied by up to three times.
Micron representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling.
“We are grateful for the jury’s work and its recognition of the importance of Netlist’s innovation,” Netlist attorney Jason Sheasby said in a statement.
Last year, Netlist won a $303 million judgment in the same court against Samsung in a related dispute over high-performance computer memory patents.
The stock price of Boise, Idaho-based Micron has surged this year on demand for the company’s chips used to power artificial intelligence technology. Irvine, California-based Netlist sued Micron in 2022, claiming three lines of its semiconductor memory modules infringe its patents.
Micron denied the allegations and presented several defenses, including arguments that the patents were invalid.
In April, a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office tribunal invalidated one of the patents, which may ultimately reduce the verdict.
