Intel has prevailed in the UK segment of a global patent dispute against American rival R2 Semiconductor, after a legal battle concerning alleged infringement involving chips and processors with fully integrated voltage regulators.
The conflict, which centred on accusations from R2 Semiconductor that Intel had infringed its patent by selling chips and processors featuring fully integrated voltage regulators, was adjudicated at London’s High Court.
In 2022, R2 Semiconductor initiated legal action seeking an injunction that could have barred the sale of certain Intel chips. Intel contested the validity of R2 Semiconductor’s patent, which pertains to on-chip power supplies for computer microprocessors.
UK ruling finds R2 Semiconductor patent to be invalid
The High Court ruled in favour of Intel, with Judge Richard Hacon issuing a written decision after a trial in April 2024. He declared R2 Semiconductor’s patent invalid, citing a lack of an “inventive step” built upon prior inventions.
However, the judge noted that, had R2 Semiconductor’s patent been valid, Intel’s actions would have infringed it.
Legal representatives for R2 Semiconductor stated that Intel’s entire current product line, which includes devices integrating a fully integrated voltage regulator, violated their patent.
The company sought an injunction to halt further alleged infringements, potentially affecting sales of Intel products like the “Ice Lake” server chips.
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Intel has not been so successful in other jurisdictions
The new ruling in London presents a contrast to an earlier decision in February 2024 in Germany.
In the February judgment, the Düsseldorf Regional Court found Intel guilty of infringing on R2 Semiconductor’s European patent for integrated voltage regulation technology.
The court’s injunction, which Intel is currently appealing, prohibited the company from selling, importing, or manufacturing the infringing technology in Germany.
In March 2024, R2 Semiconductor secured another significant win when the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf rejected Intel’s request to stay injunctions against selling products using the former’s patented technology in Germany.
Subsequently, in April 2024, R2 Semiconductor filed a new patent infringement lawsuit in Le Tribunal Judiciaire de Paris against Intel’s French subsidiaries, Dell Technologies, HPE, and HP.
