Chipmakers Intel Corp. and VIA Technologies Inc. on Monday said they have settled a series of patent infringement lawsuits.
The agreement, whose financial terms were not disclosed, resolves 11 pending cases in five countries involving 27 patents. Both companies have entered into a 10-year cross-licensing agreement under the deal.
Intel will receive royalties on some of the licensing and has agreed to temporarily refrain from asserting its patents in other cases.
"Intel believes it is licensing its intellectual property in exchange for fair value," said Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy. "This will provide patent peace between the two companies."
The license agreements do not apply to S3 Graphics, a company partially owned by VIA.
News source: Reuters - Intel, VIA Settle Series of Patent Suits
The agreement, whose financial terms were not disclosed, resolves 11 pending cases in five countries involving 27 patents. Both companies have entered into a 10-year cross-licensing agreement under the deal.
Intel will receive royalties on some of the licensing and has agreed to temporarily refrain from asserting its patents in other cases.
"Intel believes it is licensing its intellectual property in exchange for fair value," said Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy. "This will provide patent peace between the two companies."
The license agreements do not apply to S3 Graphics, a company partially owned by VIA.
News source: Reuters - Intel, VIA Settle Series of Patent Suits
Intel sued VIA in September 2001 alleging patent infringement and VIA counter-sued, claiming that Intel microprocessors infringed on patents VIA acquired in connection with its 1999 acquisition of integrated circuit maker IDT's Centaur subsidiary.
Taipei-based VIA also had alleged Intel had sought to limit competition through terms and conditions of its technology licensing policies and so was not entitled to enforce its patents.
Intel and VIA reached a settlement in 1999 on unrelated technology, Mulloy said.
Santa Clara, California-based Intel is the world's largest maker of semiconductors, which serve as the brains of computers and other electronics.
Shares of Intel closed at $17.35, up 30 cents, or 1.7 percent, on the Nasdaq stock exchange. They were trading at $17.23 after hours on Instinet.
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