Adeia claims AMD infringes its hybrid bonding patents used in Ryzen X3D products
I wasn’t quite sure how this story fits our usual coverage, but after we received two tips about it, we thought some of you might find it interesting. Patents and intellectual property are complex topics. For many, they are a minefield. For others, they are a way to make profit.
Adeia is an IP licensing company that develops and acquires technologies and earns revenue through patents rather than consumer products. Such firms are often described as non-practicing entities or “patent assertion entities”.
The company has now filed patent infringement lawsuits against AMD. Adeia claims that AMD products have for years used its semiconductor technologies without authorization. The complaints cover ten patents in total: seven related to hybrid bonding and three to advanced process node technology. Adeia argues that these inventions helped AMD advance as a market leader and says it tried to reach a deal before going to court.
Hybrid Bonding Research, Source: Adeia
“Earlier today, Adeia took legal action against AMD to protect our intellectual property rights and the investments we have made in our foundational semiconductor technologies,” said Paul E. Davis, chief executive officer of Adeia. “For years, AMD’s products have incorporated and made extensive use of Adeia’s patented semiconductor innovations, which have greatly contributed to their success as a market leader. After prolonged efforts to reach a mutually agreeable resolution without litigation, we believe this step was necessary to defend our intellectual property from AMD’s continued unauthorized use.”
In its filings today, Adeia alleges AMD infringes ten patents from Adeia’s semiconductor intellectual property (IP) portfolio – seven patents covering hybrid bonding technology and three patents covering advanced process node technology.
“We are confident that pursuing this litigation is the right course of action to protect Adeia’s inventions, as well as the interests of our shareholders and customers,” said Davis. “While we continue to be open to reaching a fair and reasonable arrangement that reflects the value of our intellectual property, we remain fully prepared to pursue resolution of this matter through the courts to safeguard our rights and firmly believe in our ability to achieve a successful outcome.”
— Adeia (PR)
Adeia is asking for unspecified damages and an order that would stop AMD from using the disputed technologies. At the same time, it says it remains open to a “fair and reasonable” licensing arrangement. The company controls a large patent portfolio built over several decades and has brought similar cases against other major tech firms before, including a dispute with NVIDIA that ended in a confidential settlement.
Hybrid bonding is used by products like the Ryzen X3D series featuring 3D V-Cache. As other media have noted, this technology is too important for AMD to risk losing the ability to use in current and future products. If a judge orders AMD to limit or cease production until a verdict is delivered, that would be a major problem for the company. AMD may instead choose to settle the lawsuit, as NVIDIA did with the same company before.
Source: Adeia via Overclock3D
