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Spansion Expands IP Lawsuit Against Samsung

btarunr

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Spansion Inc., a leading provider of Flash memory solutions, today announced the filing of an additional three separate patent infringement complaints against Samsung to further address past and ongoing widespread patent violations in a broad and growing range of Samsung Flash memory products. Spansion filed the complaints with the International Trade Commission (ITC) and in the U.S. District Courts in the Eastern District of Virginia and (an ITC mirror case) in the Northern District of California. The company first initiated action against Samsung in November, 2008, with the ITC and the U.S. District Court in Delaware. The judge in the first ITC case has set a target date of mid September to issue his initial determination.

Spansion's ITC complaints seek to exclude and enjoin from the U.S. market infringing Samsung Flash memory products and downstream products that contain them. Flash memory is a critical part of billions of dollars worth of consumer electronics such as MP3 players, cell phones, digital cameras, and tablet computers. Over the years, Samsung's infringement has and continues to unjustly enrich Samsung by many hundreds of millions of dollars. The District Court actions also seek compensation for Samsung's unjust enrichment in disregard of Spansion's extensive patent holdings.

"It is now more important than ever that we protect our IP. Our customers, partners, licensees and employees have put significant investment in our technology," said John Kispert, president and CEO of Spansion. "By defending our IP, we can protect our stakeholders' interests and continue the ongoing innovation required to address specific customer and market requirements."

Spansion is one of only two U.S.-based memory companies with wafer manufacturing onshore. The company's $2 billion investment in research and development continues to enable innovation in digital electronics. Spansion holds more than 3,000 patents and patent applications. The patents in the suits represent only a small portion of Spansion's IP portfolio. Spansion uses its IP to provide Flash memory products to its more than 4,500 customers. Spansion has recently expanded the number of IP licensees. Its IP covers a variety of inventions related to floating gate technology, which represents 90% of the entire Flash memory market.

While Samsung is the subject of these litigations, current ITC procedures dictate that Spansion name manufacturers of downstream products containing Samsung infringing devices in its ITC complaint. Companies named in the ITC cases include: Apple, BenQ, Kingston, MiTAC, Nokia, PNY Technologies, Qisda Corp., RIM, Sirius XM Radio and Transcend, and some of their subsidiaries and third party manufacturing companies.

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"It is now more important than ever that we protect our IP."

Isn't it funny that they always say that when a huge and successful company is allegedly infringing their IP... They all also seem to wait forever so there is enough stuff infringing patents. Why don't they jump on it when they first see such kind of products? Plus it makes me wonder how they figure out such stuff. Do they open up every device and inspect every chip under microscope and diagnostics to find out that it's using their very own technology?
 

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:shadedshu i really hate the us patent system
 

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Isn't it funny that they always say that when a huge and successful company is allegedly infringing their IP... They all also seem to wait forever so there is enough stuff infringing patents. Why don't they jump on it when they first see such kind of products? Plus it makes me wonder how they figure out such stuff. Do they open up every device and inspect every chip under microscope and diagnostics to find out that it's using their very own technology?

they probably did. but since samsung has shipped parts that infringe patent copyrights to so many OEM based companies. it probably took a while to investigate and find out 'how deep the wormhole goes' it probably started off as 1 offence that turned out to be many other offenses.

anyhow. f**k this 'leader of <insert technologies here> solutions' or 'market leader in <insert technologies here>'

as wiseman once say...."there can only be one...."

every 'market leader' should hire 100 ninjas n have an all out battle royal to decide who is the real 'leader' of their fields.
 
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I have always liked that all those firms, about whom almost no one ever has heard anything, starts doing lawsuits...
 
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Now that's a good business model. Forget earning your way to success in your market through hard work, innovation, and business strategy. Just quietly patent a good idea and then wait for someone to infringe upon it ... then wait for them to infringe a little more ... don't give them any warning, just keep waiting until a lawsuit would really be worth something, and then BAM! Hit 'em with it!

I'm not saying that's what happened here, just saying, it'd be quite a way to make some moola.
 
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Since getting a patent costs like 15 grand now I was wondering if you could just draw a diagram and get it copyrighted. It's not perfect but should help if you're just starting a minor business. Anytime I've seen someone win a patent theft lawsuit involving idea theft it's because they had proof they had the exact idea first, something that usually doesn't exist. A dated, copyrighted document should help right?
 
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An interesting thing to note is that they're actually part of AMD

AMD and Fujitsu, so yeah, not exactly a small company by any stretch.
 

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Considering they actually produce real products, and not just file patents, this case may be legit.
 

Zatarra

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So, is there anyone (besides AMD and Fujitsu) that is "legally" using their stuff?
 
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