Bell Semiconductor is suing companies left and right
In late April, Bell Semiconductor, a Pennsylvania-based technology and intellectual property licensing company, filed lawsuits against Micron, Infineon, Nvidia and seven other companies alleging infringement of one of its patents.
The patent in question – U.S. Patent No. 7,007,259 (or the 259 patent) – involves a layering process for fabricating semiconductor devices – a process that has allowed the devices to become smaller while increasing their performance, AP News reports.
The Pennsylvania company is now seeking a jury trail, unspecified financial damages and a court order from the court barring Micron – among others – from using the process.
The companies that were slapped with a lawsuit include Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Analog Devices Inc. (ADI), Infineon Technologies America Corp., Marvell Semiconductor Inc., Nvidia Corp., Kioxia America Inc., Micron Technology Inc., NXP USA Inc., Qualcomm Inc. as well as Socionext America inc.
The company has also filed a complaint requesting the International Trade Commission to start an investigation in accordance with section 337 – ergo to determine whether there is unfair competition in the importation of products into, or their subsequent sale in, the United States.
“Bell Semic is entitled to recover from Micron all damages that Bell Semic has sustained as a result of Micron’s infringement of the ʼ259 patent, including without limitation and/or not less than a reasonable royalty,” the lawsuit says AP News reports.
Bell Semiconductor is the successor in interest to the intellectual property portfolio that originated at Bell Labs.
