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A U.S. appeals court overturned a $2.18 billion patent-infringement award that patent owner VLSI Technology had won against Intel Corp. This ruling marks the reversal of one of the largest verdicts in the history of U.S. patent law.
Reuters reported that the U.S. Court of Appeals made the decision reached on Monday for the Federal Circuit, which cited insufficient evidence and mandated a new trial.
Insufficient Evidence for One Patent Infringement
The Federal Circuit ruled that the jury had insufficient evidence to support their finding that Intel infringed on one of the two patents. This patent was responsible for $675 million of the initial verdict, which has now been overturned.
However, the appeals court affirmed that Intel had indeed infringed another VLSI patent. The court acknowledged problems with the damages analysis and ordered a new trial to determine the appropriate award. Previously, the jury had awarded VLSI $1.5 billion for Intel's infringement of this specific patent.
A New Trial Ordered
The jury's initial 2021 verdict, which found Intel guilty of infringing one of VLSI's patents, has been overturned. The case has been sent back to Texas for a fresh trial to determine the amount of damages Intel owes for infringing a second VLSI patent.
BNN noted that this ruling could have significant implications for the ongoing litigation between VLSI and Intel in multiple U.S. courts, where VLSI has accused Intel of infringing several patents related to semiconductor technology.
VLSI, a patent holding company, is owned by investment funds managed by Fortress Investment Group. Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Investment Co took a majority share of Fortress this year.
Intel successfully defeated VLSI's bid for over $3 billion in damages in another trial held in Waco, Texas, later in 2021. Additionally, a separate jury in Austin, Texas, awarded VLSI nearly $949 million from Intel in a third patent case last year. It is worth noting that the companies have also reached agreements to dismiss other potential multi-billion-dollar cases.
As news of the overturning of the award spread, Intel's stock tumbled over 4% on Monday morning. Other major chipmakers also experienced declines. These market reactions highlight the significance of this case within the semiconductor industry.
While this ruling paves the way for a new trial in Texas, another trial is set to commence in Northern California in 2024. These legal battles underscore the importance of patent rights and their implications for the semiconductor industry's future.
