Intel secured a legal victory in London on Wednesday, defeating U.S. competitor R2 Semiconductor in a significant patent dispute. The case revolved around R2’s claim that Intel had infringed on its patent by selling chips and processors equipped with fully integrated voltage regulators. R2 sought an injunction that could have halted the sale of Intel’s products, including its “Ice Lake” server chips.
The lawsuit, filed by R2 at London’s High Court in 2022, was countered by Intel, which argued for the invalidation of R2’s patent. The High Court ruled in favor of Intel, with Judge Richard Hacon declaring that R2’s patent lacked an “inventive step” and thus was invalid. However, Judge Hacon noted that Intel would have been in breach of R2’s patent if it had been valid.
R2’s legal team contended that Intel’s entire current line of microchips and processors infringed on their patent, which pertains to on-chip power supplies for computer microprocessors. Despite the High Court’s ruling, both Intel and R2 have yet to comment on the decision.
This London judgment stands in contrast to a ruling in February by a German court, which sided with R2, stating that Intel’s products did infringe on the patent. Intel has appealed the German court’s decision.
Featured Image courtesy of The Edge Malaysia
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