Netlist: Samsung files new lawsuit against Netlist

Samsung has asked a Delaware federal court to rule that it did not violate Netlist’s patent rights in an ongoing dispute with the computer-memory company. In a lawsuit made public earlier this week, the company asked the court to rule that its “memory modules” used in servers and other computer systems do not infringe a Netlist memory patent or to find that Netlist broke an obligation to offer it a license on fair terms.
South Korea-based Samsung has asked the court to find that its memory modules do not infringe a Netlist patent issued last year covering a method of “handshaking” between memory controllers. Samsung argued that its technology works differently than Netlist’s patented technology. The South Korean tech giant alleged that Netlist went through almost all of discovery arguing that its four patents covering memory modules used in the computing industry are essential to a standard agreed to by industry participants.
Samsung also requested an unspecified amount of damages from Netlist for violating agreements that require patent owners to offer fair licenses for technology that a device must incorporate to comply with international standards, like Bluetooth or 5G. Netlist has argued that its patent is necessary for a standard related to semiconductor memory products.
What is the case
Netlist has accused Samsung of infringing other memory-related patents in two US states Texas, Delaware and Germany. Earlier this year, an East Texas jury awarded Netlist more than $303 million in damages after finding that Samsung’s memory modules for high-performance computing infringed several Netlist patents related to data processing.
California-based Netlist has also accused Google and Micron Technology of infringing its patents in ongoing cases. It settled a related dispute with SK Hynix in 2021.