Transmeta Sues Intel for Patent Infringement
Though the precise details remain uncertain this morning until legal documents are finally released, processor producer Transmeta filed suit against Intel in US District Court in Delaware. Although few details are known at this time, analysts today are speculating that based on Transmeta's current product line, the patents it claims Intel infringed upon may concern power management techniques in semiconductors.
Weighing against that argument, however, is Transmeta's own statement this morning, saying the technologies in question stretch far back in Intel's history, dating back to the Pentium III. That chip was first unveiled in 1999, during an era long before power consumption in consumer CPUs was considered a critical issue. At that time, Transmeta was barely a two-year-old company, with much of its operations conducted in secret, and with an original goal to produce Intel-compatible chips.
Today, Transmeta is seeking no less than an injunction against the sale of Intel CPUs. After that watershed event in history takes place, monetary damages might possibly go unnoticed, along with perhaps a few simultaneous earthquakes.
In a statement this morning, Transmeta's executive vice president implied Intel may have made statements crediting Transmeta for some of its design inspirations. Then the CEO, Arthur L. Swift, basically stated his company is basically in the lawsuit business now, as part of a refocus of the company away from chip production.
"As a part of our business decision last year to increasingly focus on monetizing our IP through technology licensing," said Swift, "we understood that in some cases we might need to pursue enforcement through the courts."
This morning, Intel spokesperson Chuck Malloy told BetaNews, "Intel is continuing to study the complaint, but after preliminary analysis, the company disputes the claims of infringement and plans to conduct a vigorous defense." Malloy may as well have added that his company, perhaps unwillingly, is entering the vigorous defense business.