The global chip industry is on alert after a U.S. court ruled in favor of U.S. chip design firm Rambus in a patent infringement lawsuit.

In the lawsuit filed by Hynix Semiconductor and two other firms, a court in San Jose, California decided on Tuesday that Rambus did not violate an anti-trust law by claiming patent on DRAM manufacturing technology. The court delivered a ruling favorable for Rambus, rejecting other chipmakers’ claims.

The patent conflict between Rambus and other chipmakers began in 2000, when Rambus claimed that Hynix, the U.S.’ Micron and Taiwan’s Nanya infringed its patent. The three companies filed a suit, saying Rambus was violating the anti-trust law. Rambus retaliated with a patent infringement suit against Hynix in 2001. In 2006, a U.S. federal court ordered the Korean chipmaker to pay US$370 million in damages to Rambus, saying Hynix had infringed the patent. However, on appeal, the compensation dropped to $134 million.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the European Committee, however, accepted the opinion of the global chip industry and recently made a tentative decision that Rambus had violated anti-trust laws. Chipmakers therefore hope that Rambus’ patent ownership will not be acknowledged. An industry insider said “all chipmakers” use the technology on which Rambus claims patent. The industry is watching carefully for fear that Rambus will file similar lawsuits in the future.

(englishnews@chosun.com )