German Court Prohibits Intel Processor Sales Amid Patent Dispute

[AleksandarK]

According to Financial Times, a regional court in Düsseldorf, Germany, created a significant setback for Intel on Wednesday, issuing an injunction prohibiting sales of some of its processors due to allegations they infringe on a patent held by R2 Semiconductor. R2, a technology firm based in Palo Alto, California, accused Intel of violating its patent related to processor voltage regulation. The ruling applies to Intel's 10th, 11th, and 12th generation Core processors, known as Ice Lake, Tiger Lake, and Alder Lake, as well as its Ice Lake Xeon server SKUs. Newer processors generations (13th, 14th, etc.) don't infringe the patent. Even though Intel noted that it plans to appeal the decision, the ramifications could extend beyond the company itself. Industry experts warn the court order could lead to a sweeping ban on products containing the disputed Intel chips, including laptops and pre-built PCs from major manufacturers like HP and Dell. R2 has waged an ongoing legal fight across multiple jurisdictions to defend its intellectual property.

After initially filing suit against Intel in the United States, R2 shifted its efforts to Germany and other European countries after its patent was invalidated stateside. Intel strongly denied R2's patent infringement claims, alleging the company's entire business model relies on extracting legal settlements through serial litigation. Intel believes the injunction serves only R2's financial interests while harming consumers, businesses, and the economy. The two firms traded barbs in official statements about the case. R2's CEO, David Fisher, rebuffed Intel's characterization of his company, saying it has only targeted Intel for infringement of its clear IP rights. As the war of words continues, the practical impact of the German court's decision remains uncertain, pending Intel's appeal. However, the preliminary injunction demonstrates the massive financial consequences at stake in battles over technological patents.



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[londiste]

Can anyone find technical details about the dispute? What patent, what solution. All the news pieces on this seem to be on the company/financial side of things.
Looks like R2 lost the same fight in US courts and now went for it in Germany. While Intel effectively calling them a patent troll is not amusing, this does not seem to bode well for R2.

 

[kondamin]

Can anyone find technical details about the dispute? What patent, what solution. All the news pieces on this seem to be on the company/financial side of things.
Looks like R2 lost the same fight in US courts and now went for it in Germany. While Intel effectively calling them a patent troll is not amusing, this does not seem to bode well for R2.

https://www.casemine.com/judgement/uk/64a708fb6657545a79eeedb0

its written in a way that I can’t make up of intel is doing Something wrong without reading it completely

 

[gurusmi]

Can anyone find technical details about the dispute? What patent, what solution. All the news pieces on this seem to be on the company/financial side of things.
Looks like R2 lost the same fight in US courts and now went for it in Germany. While Intel effectively calling them a patent troll is not amusing, this does not seem to bode well for R2.

German patent court rules against Intel over some of its chips

US chipmaker plans to appeal against decision that could lead to ban on sale of certain HP and Dell products

www.ft.com

Some Intel chips banned in Germany after company loses patent spat — Alder Lake, Ice Lake, and Tiger Lake chips impacted [Updated]

Dell and HP devices could be banned, too.

www.tomshardware.com

 

[FoulOnWhite]

I have had a look at that, and it seems to be something to do with spike protection in FIVR's, but i could be wrong

Does R2 actually produce a product?

 

[3valatzy]

German Court Prohibits Intel Processor Sales

There is justice, after all.

Intel just got what it has done to AMD for decades.
Intel just reaps what they sowed.

The EU found, in part:

• That Intel paid rebates to manufacturers on the condition that they would buy all (Dell) or nearly all of their CPUs from Intel.
• That it paid retail stores rebates to only stock x86 parts.
• That it paid computer manufacturers to halt or delay the launch of AMD hardware, including Dell, Acer, Lenovo, and NEC.
• That it restricted sales of AMD CPUs based on business segment and market. OEMs were given permission to sell higher percentages of AMD desktop chips, but were required to buy up to 95% of business processors from Intel. At least one manufacturer was forbidden to sell AMD notebook chips at all.

Intel stuck with $1.45 billion fine in Europe for unfair and damaging practices against AMD

Intel will be paying the full $1.44B fine it owes the EU after losing its bid to overturn the action.

www.extremetech.com

 

[SOAREVERSOR]

I have had a look at that, and it seems to be something to do with spike protection in FIVR's, but i could be wrong

Does R2 actually produce a product?

Did anybody hear about R2 before this?

 

[kondamin]

There is justice, after all.

Intel just got what it has done to AMD for decades.
Intel just reaps what they sowed.

Intel stuck with $1.45 billion fine in Europe for unfair and damaging practices against AMD

Intel will be paying the full $1.44B fine it owes the EU after losing its bid to overturn the action.

www.extremetech.com

no, justice would be that fine Intel got for what they did.

this is a patent troll that describes something similar to what intel did

 

[Denver]

There is justice, after all.

Intel just got what it has done to AMD for decades.
Intel just reaps what they sowed.

Intel stuck with $1.45 billion fine in Europe for unfair and damaging practices against AMD

Intel will be paying the full $1.44B fine it owes the EU after losing its bid to overturn the action.

www.extremetech.com

Unfortunately, justice is so bad that it takes 1813921 years to get anywhere and gives infinite possibilities to appeal

 

[pressing on]

Can anyone find technical details about the dispute? What patent, what solution.

The case relates to U.S. Patent No. 8,233,250 titled OVER VOLTAGE PROTECTION OF SWITCHING CONVERTER, known as the 250 Patent. R2 first took action against Intel in September 2016 in the U.S.

Images below (source: United States Patent And Trademark Office) from the 250 Patent filed on Dec. 23 2009 and granted on July 31 2012. This is the Patent that seems to have been invalidated by the U.S. courts.

 

[Ferrum Master]

The case relates to U.S. Patent No. 8,233,250 titled OVER VOLTAGE PROTECTION OF SWITCHING CONVERTER, known as the 250 Patent. R2 first took action against Intel in September 2016 in the U.S.

Images below (source: United States Patent And Trademark Office) from the 250 Patent filed on Dec. 23 2009 and granted on July 31 2012. This is the Patent that seems to have been invalidated by the U.S. courts.

It should have been invalidated... it is a basic principle. Then an opamp in comparator mode should also be patented.

 

[ty_ger]

What a generic patent. Did they have to repeat the same information in the patent 3 times just to make it seem more substantive?

 

[xorbe]

Here we go again trying to patent physics and suing everyone. Guessing R2 Semi has no actual products.

 

[unwind-protect]

Can anyone find technical details about the dispute? What patent, what solution.

I'm wondering whether the judge could answer that question...

 

[Minus Infinity]

I have little respect for Intel, but some of these patents are a joke and yet again showing how pathetically broken the US patent system has been for a very long time. Total BS is allowed to be patented it seems knowing full well trolls will weaponise them down the track.

 

[tfp]

I have little respect for Intel, but some of these patents are a joke and yet again showing how pathetically broken the US patent system has been for a very long time. Total BS is allowed to be patented it seems knowing full well trolls will weaponise them down the track.

"After initially filing suit against Intel in the United States, R2 shifted its efforts to Germany and other European countries after its patent was invalidated stateside."

 

[gurusmi]

I have little respect for Intel, but some of these patents are a joke and yet again showing how pathetically broken the US patent system has been for a very long time. Total BS is allowed to be patented it seems knowing full well trolls will weaponise them down the track.

Didn't you read the articles? The US courts denied to have such a Lawsuit. I't about the lawsuit in Germany.

 

[pressing on]

R2 Semiconductor also took out a Patent with the European Patent Office : EP3376653 - OVER VOLTAGE PROTECTION OF A SWITCHING CONVERTER - and it's exactly the same as what was filed in the U.S. It is the European Patent that the German court action is based on. R2 have also taken the same case against Intel in the UK with the result expected in April.

 

[gurusmi]

R2 Semiconductor also took out a Patent with the European Patent Office : EP3376653 - OVER VOLTAGE PROTECTION OF A SWITCHING CONVERTER - and it's exactly the same as what was filed in the U.S. It is the European Patent that the German court action is based on. R2 have also taken the same case against Intel in the UK with the result expected in April.

But you realize that @Minus Infinity did talk about a american court decisions? There the trial was denied. It's new to me that germany is a part of the US.

 

[remixedcat]

There is justice, after all.

Intel just got what it has done to AMD for decades.
Intel just reaps what they sowed.

Intel stuck with $1.45 billion fine in Europe for unfair and damaging practices against AMD

Intel will be paying the full $1.44B fine it owes the EU after losing its bid to overturn the action.

www.extremetech.com

yep if you go to lenovo, dell, hp, or any of those there's very little amd cpus.... intel strongarms all of them.... and if they don't then they don't get discounts at all and they are very threatening to any of the oems.

 

[3valatzy]

I'm wondering whether the judge could answer that question...

Well, it doesn't matter. What matters is that Intel refuses to pay the royalties for someone's else IP, or it refuses to settle outside the court.

 

[pressing on]

R2 Semiconductor's action against Intel in the UK failed in July 2024. The UK High Court declared the voltage regulator patent null and void on the grounds that it was "...invalid for lack of inventive step...". [R2 Semiconductor, Inc v Intel Corporation (UK) Ltd & Anor [2024] EWHC 1974 (Pat).]

On August 31 2024 an Intel source said that "Intel and R2 today announced an agreement to dismiss all litigation between the two companies. R2 will also dismiss all litigation against Intel customers Dell, HP, HPE, Fujitsu and AWS. The parties are pleased to have resolved the dispute on mutually agreed-upon terms. The terms of the resolution are confidential."

 

[kapone32]

Germany is the largest economy in the EU. This could be really bad for Intel.

 

[Solaris17]

entire business model relies on extracting legal settlements through serial litigation

god dman patent trolls.