So what if Rambus doesn't really produce anything tangible these days? We're hearing the "innovation" business is going really well for the company that recently celebrated its 1,000th patent, and now there's a nice big windfall in its near future as well. The
US International Trade Commission has handed down a ruling agreeing with a
previous judgment that NVIDIA infringed on three Rambus patents in the design of its memory controllers, with the ultimate outcome being a ban on importing such infringing goods into the country. Of course, that's the one thing we're sure won't be happening, but NVIDIA will now
have to sign up for a license to Rambus' precious IP portfolio, which might be a tad bit costly given that GeForce, Quadro, nForce, Tesla
and Tegra chips are named as being in violation -- aside from
Ion, that's pretty much NVIDIA's whole hardware business.
[Thanks, Marc]
Update: NVIDIA, unsurprisingly, has said it
will appeal the ruling. [Thanks, Xero2]
posted July 27th 2010 3:02AM
I just hope they settle all this asap, so my stock can get to where it should be. They should be trading at least upwards of 20.
@Mr Oos Now's a great time to buy more. NVIDIA stock will bounce, won't go much higher unless it figures out how to get more power vs energy consumption like ATI soon.
Ouch. Wonder if AMD designed their memory controllers differently or if they're just next up on the Rambus target list.
I hate Rambus .. they file patents on obvious things and the moron patent office examiners just approve them.
@JS
Totally agree, there really needs to be much better regulation in that patent office.
Its like Apple being able to get those silly multi touch patents.
Shit I might as well patent holding your fingers over the A,S,D,F, keys so I can sue everyone who types!
@TheJason The last thing RAMBUS made of any note was the main memory for the PS3.
@bitcloudrzr
Them claiming to own sdram and ddr should be considered fraud....
Oh wait they were found guilty of fraud for that reason until a judge that absolutely knows nada, ziltch, nothing, shit, about anything that involves technology decided that the jury was wrong.
@JS Unfortunately it's the same for most patents, especially in high tech industries though as the people approving the patents lack the technical knowledge to understand how obvious some of these things are.
It's sad as the really good ideas that deserve a patent can get bogged down with all this rubbish.
@TheJason Kind of like Apple's Patents.
The ITC is just awful now. It was created to protect American companies from foreign knockoffs. But now it's mainly used by American patent trolls to extract money from other American companies who actually invent and make useful products.
@spin cycle
"what goes around, comes around"....:P
@spin cycle Good thing then that NVIDIA isn't an American company.
@angelicbeef What do you mean not an American company? Nvidia was founded by Americans in America back in 1993. To this day, its headquarters are in California. How is that not an American company?
@angelicbeef ATI & Matrox are (were in the case of ATI) Canadian. NVIDIA is American.
@spin cycle Actually since ATI is now owned by AMD that makes it an
American company
@DefPoet
..that's why he said 'were'....
@angelicbeef
Probably meant to say CEO is a Taiwanese guy. Only skin deep comment
@tpnmvz actually Nvidia is a multinational ... America is its home country (meaning there head offices are there) wheras they operate and supply/manufacture in various countries. So to say they are "American" is not exactly correct, especially when you take into account more then 80% of Nvidia is based in other countries. But potato potato ...
Man that sucks. Patents are becoming so blown out of Preportion.
@Sk8erMikez
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Rambus_HQ_patent_wall_section.JPG
when that is your whole business model and you gloat it as such then you should not be allowed to exist
Nvidia is already going to appeal, there wont be any import ban.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idCNN2622713220100726?rpc=44
The ITC is the favorite court for anyone who wants to sue over patents due to its favorable attitude towards them. It used to be that court in Texas but since they tightened up the rules for patent trolling they've all gone running to the ITC now.
@Xero2
ASUS Computer International Inc, Palit Multimedia Inc, MSI Computer Corp, EVGA Corp, DiabloTek Inc, Biostar Microtech Corp and BFG Technologies Inc.
are the other companies included in the import ban
If you do not actually produce a product form your patent in any form then you should not be able to sue anyone. This is just plain stupid
I personally patent troll out here should be dissolved and shot
NVidia can't afford this right now. With what AMD/ATi is doing, they can't afford anything that will cause them to have to delay anymore products to market.
Vlad? When I saw this linked on Twitter, I would've bet my house that Nilay was the author! o_O
What's a Rambus? Public transport service for male sheep?
@r3loaded
Rambus bros!
Back in 2001 Rambus was supposed to revolutionize the RAM industry...never happened !
DDR , DDR2 , DDR3...and RAMBUS was forgotten as I remember it.
Rambus is just a patent troll pure and simple. It setups up a patent ambush in the early 90s when the standard setting body JEDEC was in the process of setting up memory standard. Once the DDR standard took hold, Rambus starts to sue EVERYONE (first, the top 10 memory manufacturers), and only now, it starts to sue the peripheral players (manufacturers who USE the DDR chips).
Its disgusting the US patent laws has sink this law to agree to Rambus's deceptive malpractices that abuses the law that is meant to protect the innovators.
Rolyan Industries has just announced that typing on a keyboard has been patented! For a low low licensing cost of $4,865,662,143.98 per keyboard, you can too know the joy of home key navigation! Join the revolution today!
Patents Pending: taking a crap, walking to the store, vision, dead people vision, hearing, speaking, touching, any other sense not mentioned in this filing, eating, sleeping, and, of course, SEX.
(Soon, a Weimar Republic mark will seem like a FORTUNE!)
first time i herd of Rambus
It should be like Trademarks. If you don't use it, you lose it. Make a tangable product already RAMBUS!
Rambus.
Patent troll is successful.