Wednesday, March 22nd 2017
AMD Sues the Mobileverse: Claims LG, Mediatek, Others Infringe on its GPU IP
This is an unusual article to cover at Techpowerup: We don't usually do mobile stuff. Nevertheless, when a household name like AMD strikes out against some household names in the mobile verse such as LG, Mediatek, Vizio, Sigma, and such, we probably should cover it. AMD's financial wellbeing is important to competitiveness and all, right?
Ok, so what's the issue? Mainly, graphics patents, and intellectual property. AMD thinks ARM Holdings GPU designs infringe on their graphics technology portfolio. Wait, ARM Holdings? Why not sue them? According to the source article, it's due to the convoluted way Intellectual Property law works. In short, because ARM licenses their GPU tech to other companies who build it (ARM Holdings doesn't make anything, it's an idea-house/design farm), it's easier to sue a finalized product with an infringing GPU included than someone who is peddling an idea of a product that would infringe if it were ever made. So, they start things off suing the end vendor, Mediatek, who makes several chipsets incorporating the GPU-principles in question, and of course also the biggest phone vendors currently using those chipsets (South Korean giant LG, among some other minor phone builders).
This is not a small lawsuit by any means, and it could get bigger. AMD has specifically stated in its complaint that this is only an example of Infringement and not the complete subject matter. In other words, if they win, they can sue more people based on this should they choose to do so.
As a mere bystander who uses both mobile phones and PC products daily, I'm sort of torn by this news. On one hand, I love AMD. On the other hand, this feels to me like a patent troll attempt of sorts, but then I remind myself AMD has actually spent years developing graphics technology and they do have a right to defend those exclusive technologies. I guess I need more information on what exactly is infringing. Information has not exactly been forthcoming with this case in regard to technical details, unfortunately.
Regardless, AMD is seeking a cease and desist order to stop the import and sale of the products involved in the USA, so they aren't playing soft with the mobile companies by any means. The gloves are off. I guess the question to be asked here is whether or not that is justified.
Source:
XDA-developers
This is not a small lawsuit by any means, and it could get bigger. AMD has specifically stated in its complaint that this is only an example of Infringement and not the complete subject matter. In other words, if they win, they can sue more people based on this should they choose to do so.
As a mere bystander who uses both mobile phones and PC products daily, I'm sort of torn by this news. On one hand, I love AMD. On the other hand, this feels to me like a patent troll attempt of sorts, but then I remind myself AMD has actually spent years developing graphics technology and they do have a right to defend those exclusive technologies. I guess I need more information on what exactly is infringing. Information has not exactly been forthcoming with this case in regard to technical details, unfortunately.
Regardless, AMD is seeking a cease and desist order to stop the import and sale of the products involved in the USA, so they aren't playing soft with the mobile companies by any means. The gloves are off. I guess the question to be asked here is whether or not that is justified.
31 Comments on AMD Sues the Mobileverse: Claims LG, Mediatek, Others Infringe on its GPU IP
Only a dumb AMD would sell an 8 core CPU for $320 and market it as a gaming product when it absolutely not. These 8 core CPUs don't even get utilized past 35% in the latest games.
BTW, this is an over-a-month old news, and so far no developments.
Same deal as an "unfortunate" NVidia lawsuit against Samsung and Qualcomm
www.extremetech.com/computing/216109-nvidia-infringement-claims-against-samsung-qualcomm-tossed
Worth ignoring, since it's not going anywhere.
It's strange that this "month old" news is popping up as fresh news across several sites though, in my defense. That said, from what I've read, this lawsuit is gaining far more momentum than the Nvidia one (US ITC is involved now), I wouldn't count on it completely disappearing.
How many of those same people are going to now complain that AMD is not in fact a patent troll?
It's no surprise, though. AMD was bound to want a piece of the pie and mobile is a pie they can't eat otherwise without patent trolling.
they developed the IP
they used the IP
they licenced the ip to Others ( for Payment ie Royalitys )
They Deserve to benefit from ip they developed
patent trolls just acquire IP for the purpose of extracting payment from others
If it's AMD, they are just restoring justice.
Double standards 24x7.
The core of the problem is the same: AMD's claims are generalized, like the NVidia ones were.
"Parallel Pipeline" and "Programmable shaders" are a part of almost every existing GPU, so it'll be hard to prove that someone was infringing something without narrowing down the implementation of both, and forcing the defendant to disclose what they have under the hood (which will eventually be ARM, currently not involved in the case). I doubt it will go that far.According to earlier speculations it's not about mobile market or even patent infringement itself. It's about delaying/eliminating the competitors before finalizing all details of an IP licensing deal with China.
Nvidia gave themselves their reputation. They deserve any and all flak.
Not going to bite
If your trying to Start a flamewar By Draging Nvidia into an AMD Thread That will not work with Me
Have a Reasonably nice Day
Patents and IP are real and they need to be protected. However, the breach must also be real for it to be penalized. Only ensuring both will lead to actual progress of knowledge.
The double standards...
- Chekib Akrout (Senior Vice President, Global Operations), has a bachelor's degree in physics from the University Pierre & Marie Curie in France and a PhD in electronics and physics;
- Jim Anderson (Senior Vice President and General Manager) has a MBA and Master of Science in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Master of Science in electrical engineering from Purdue University and a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the University of Minnesota. Additionally he has 4 patents for innovations in computer architecture.;
- Forrest Norrod (Senior Vice President and General Manager, Enterprise) holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech and holds 11 US patents in computer architecture, graphics and system design;
- Mark Papermaster (Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President) has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and master’s degree from the University of Vermont, both in Electrical Engineering.
Do I have to keep going? I'm a fervent Intel supporter, but let's not slide to such a low level and start calling people retards, as they're clearly not. :shadedshu:
Question: What kind of relevant degrees do you hold to formulate the above mentioned statement on AMD's management?
AMD hasn't had the cash to pursue all the companies that have been infringing on their patents for years. Things have changed a bit on the cash front. Now they are able to seek justice.
This is the first step in AMD's plan to monetize their patent portfolio. Right now, some or all, of the defendants are probably already sitting down to discuss a settlement for past IP thefts and signing licensing agreements for future sales.
Before AMD's legal team started down this path it would make sense that they reviewed what the court views as frivolous, such as Nvidia's recent lawsuit. So they apparently feel their case has more merit and were willing to incur the upfront legal costs.
-Pricing the R7 1700 at $320 and the 1800X at $500 when the 1700 is almost as fast the 1800X is DUMB.
-Selling +$200 motherboards for chips that don't overlock is DUMB.
-Marketing these 8 core CPUs as gemming products when they're absolutely not is DUMB.
Do I have to keep going?
Pricing-wise, you're wrong, it's not dumb, it's called price differentiation through market segmentation, a very healthy way to increase revenues as practiced by, let's see, pretty much every company out there...
Which brings us to the real question: What are your qualifications to pass judgement on these things so flatly? I mean without anything to back your "DUMB" plugs, your "Do I have to keep going?" carries no weight...
Anyway, AMD is most definitely not a patent troll by any sane definition. Un-sane definitions are the shockingly common ones in which a patent troll is any entity who engages in any kind of IP litigation. We'll see how it plays out.
Still nice payday for the lawyers.
Good luck to them.
Why dont you tell us likewise, and show how it's done?
Lol.