Toshiba Corp. announced late Monday that it has filed two suits against Hynix Semiconductor Japan for allegedly infringing on its semiconductor memory patents.

One suit was filed in the Tokyo District Court against Hynix Semiconductor Japan Inc. for alleged infringement of Toshiba’s three NAND flash memory patents, which seeks damages against and an injunction against infringing products.

In the U.S., Toshiba filed suit against Hynix Semiconductor Inc. and its U.S. subsidiaries for infringement of three DRAM and four NAND flash memory patents in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. This suit also seeks damages and an injunction against infringing products.

According to a statement from Toshiba today, this legal action stems from a patent cross-licensing agreement made between the companies in August 1996, which expired Dec. 31, 2002. Prior to expiration, the companies began negotiating an extension of the agreement, in which Toshiba sought to secure a reasonable fee for access to its patents. Since a satisfactory conclusion was not reached, Toshiba felt it had no alternative other than to pursue legal recourse.

“Toshiba is a leader in advanced semiconductor memories and holds many significant patents. We are determined to protect our semiconductor intellectual property and prepared to take action against any infringement of our patents. The lawsuit against Hynix is in line with this strategy,” Shozo Saito, VP of Toshiba’s memory division, said in a statement.

By: DocMemory
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