Intel wins X2Y patent case said to imperil chipmaker's U.S. jobs
Intel Corp. won a patent-infringement case some U.S. lawmakers said could have threatened jobs at the chipmaker's U.S. manufacturing plants.
The U.S. International Trade Commission upheld, with modifications, trade Judge David Shaw's findings that Intel didn't violate the patent rights of closely held X2Y Attenuators LLC. Hewlett-Packard Co. and Apple Inc., which use Intel chips, were also named in the ITC complaint. Notice of the decision was posted Feb. 15 on the agency's website.
X2Y asked the trade agency to block Intel's chips using its technology from entering the U.S. The case drew the attention of lawmakers from both political parties who said a loss for Intel could harm U.S. jobs, because Intel does initial manufacturing work in the U.S. and final assembly in other countries.
The X2Y patents cover ways to overcome electromagnetic interference that can damage electronics. The company, which develops methods for improving the performance of circuits, licenses its inventions to Samsung Electronics Co., the world's biggest maker of computer-memory chips. It doesn't make any chips of its own.
Shaw said Intel didn't infringe the three patents and two are invalid. The commission altered the judge's interpretation of some patent terms without changing his underlying finding. The commission said it would more fully explain its reasoning in an opinion to be issued later.
"We're gratified they upheld the judge's opinion and now we can focus on defending ourselves in federal court in Pennsylvania," said Chuck Mulloy, a spokesman for Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel.
Anne Standley of Edelman, a spokeswoman for X2Y's law firm Alston & Bird, said the firm and company had no immediate comment.
The case is In the Matter of Microprocessors, Components Thereof, and Products Containing Same, 337-781, U.S. International Trade Commission (Washington).
Facebook wins ruling in jurisdiction fight with German regulator
Facebook Inc. scored a court victory in Germany in a dispute with a local data regulator over which nation's laws apply to its European operations.
The administrative court for Schleswig-Holstein suspended enforcement of an order saying Facebook must let users register under a pseudonym. The order is most likely illegal and shouldn't apply while Facebook fights it, the court said on a statement on its website Feb. 15.
