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The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has provisionally determined that an SK hynix enterprise memory product infringed on a U.S. patent held by California-based semiconductor company Netlist, the U.S. firm said Tuesday.
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| Netlist CEO Hong Chun-ki |
In its notice of the initial determination, the U.S. federal agency, which deals with international trade issues, stated SK hynix' LRDIMM product infringed on one of Netlist's patents in violation of Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which is aimed at regulating unfair trade practices involving the infringement of patents.
The ITC noted, however, the Korean company's RDIMM products did not infringe on Netlist's patents.
The RDIMM is a widely used enterprise memory product, while the LRDIMM is categorized as a higher value-added one.
"Further details will be available in the coming days," Netlist said in its release.
The legal battle between SK hynix and Netlist began in 2016 when the California-based company filed patent infringement lawsuits with the ITC.
The ITC ruled in favor of SK hynix early last year. Netlist lodged an appeal, demanding a reinvestigation.
An SK hynix official said the latest decision of the ITC is provisional, saying there are still many procedures to be completed before a final ruling is issued.
"We plan to respond to the issue in accordance with due procedures," he said.
Netlist has filed a similar patent infringement lawsuits against SK hynix not only in the United States, but also in China and Germany, but to no avail.
An intellectual property court in Beijing dismissed the case in June last year, while a court in Munich ruled in favor of SK hynix in June this year.
