Patent Accusations: IBM Hit With Infringement Suit
Computer giant International Business Machines, Corp. has been taken to court by MOSAID Technologies, Inc., a Canadian intellectual property development firm, for suspected unlicensed use of MOSAID’s technology. It is claimed that IBM manufactured and sold microprocessor and circuit products that use Dynamic Random Access Memory patents belonging to MOSAID. The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Delaware and alleges six different counts of infringement.
MOSAID has been a trailblazer with respect to DRAM and has enjoyed a virtual monopoly over the DRAM licensing market. MOSAID has agreements in place with Fujitsu, NEC, Toshiba, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, and Oki Semiconductor. Interestingly, MOSAID says that its hand was forced regarding IBM due to stalled talks between the parties regarding possible licensing for the patents in question.
This is not the first time that MOSAID has cried foul; it has filed suits against Samsung, Infineon, and several other companies in the past for similar conduct. Samsung ultimately settled with MOSAID and came away with a five-year license agreement to use MOSAID’s inventions.
I think MOSAID is doing the smart thing by actively pursuing companies it feels are infringing upon its patents and ensuring that it is justly compensated for its innovation. Despite the difficult process of initiating litigation against every potential copycat, it is imperative that intellectual property be guarded as fiercely as possible so that your business can reap the hard-earned benefits of its R&D. Patent prosecution can and does pay dividends for decades.
Contact a patent attorney to protect the fruits of your labor for years to come!
