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Samsung to license Mosaid patents, settling lawsuit
Date 2005-01-31
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Mosaid Technologies Inc. said Tuesday (Jan. 18) it has settled its patent suit with Samsung Electronics Co. in the District Court of New Jersey, with Samsung agreeing to license Mosaid's portfolio of DRAM patents.
Under the terms of the settlement, Samsung will receive a five-year license to the entire patent portfolio of Mosaid. Samsung will also receive a license to four Mosaid patent families filed prior to 2000 for the lives of the patents.

Payments for the license will be spread over the five-year term of the license. Financial details were not disclosed.

The settlement ends an almost three-and-a-half year dispute between the companies that began September 2001, when Mosaid sued Samsung for infringing upon seven Mosaid patents related to DRAM technology.

Mosaid subsequently also sued Infineon Technologies AG over DRAM patent issues, and later filed amended claims against both companies. Settlement of Mosaid's litigation with Samsung does not affect the ongoing litigation with Infineon.

"This is a major step forward for our patent licensing program," said Jim Skippen, senior vice president, patent licensing and general counsel of Mosaid, in a statement. "Now that Samsung, the world's largest DRAM supplier, has settled with Mosaid, we believe it is more likely that the remaining unlicensed DRAM companies will follow suit."

Mosaid expects the agreement to bolster its current quarter revenue, with the company now expecting revenue to reach $16.5 million to $17 million compared to $4 million to $4.5 million previously. Earnings are expected to be $33.5 to $34 million, compared to previous guidance of a $5 million to $6 million loss.

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