SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Tessera Technologies Inc., which develops
miniaturization technologies for the electronics industry, said Monday the U.S.
International Trade Commission began an investigation into the allegedly
unlawful use of its patents.
In December, Tessera filed a complaint with the ITC, asking it to ban the
import and sale of certain small-format semiconductor packaging products it
claimed infringed its patents. The ITC began its probe last week.
Tessera's complaint includes DRAM, or dynamic random access memory, memory
chips and modules and the personal computers that use them. Among the biggest
companies named in the complaint are Japanese memory chip maker Elpida Memory
Inc., Taiwan's Acer Inc. and Nanya Technology Corp.
No trial date has been set.
A hearing from a separate ITC action involving chips found in wireless
handsets and other products remains on schedule to run for five days beginning
Feb. 25, after a request for a delay was rejected, Tessera said. That complaint
by Tessera is against ATI Technologies, Freescale Inc., Motorola Inc. and
Qualcomm Inc., among others, and seeks to ban the importation, sale for
importation or sale after importation of products Tessera believes infringes its
patents.
The patents in question in both cases are part of a portfolio that is
"broadly licensed to companies in the semiconductor industry," including Intel
Corp. Samsung Electronics Co. and Texas Instruments Inc., Tessera said in a
statement.
Shares fell 64 cents to $37.40 in morning trading.
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