Transmeta Files a Patent Lawsuit Against Intel

Transmeta, a Santa Clara, Calif. company, has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Intel, claiming the microprocessor giant has used its architecture and power efficiency technologies in its products.

The lawsuit, which was filed Oct. 11 in U.S. District Court in Delaware, claims that Intel has infringed on 10 Transmeta patents.

In its complaint, Transmeta asks that Intel, which is also based in Santa Clara, stop using the technology in its microprocessors, and that Intel should pay an unspecified amount of royalties and other monetary damages to Transmeta.

Transmeta charges that Intel used the technology in the Pentium III, Pentium 4, Pentium M, Core and Core 2 processors.

“After endeavoring to negotiate with Intel for fair compensation for the continued use of our intellectual property, we have concluded that we must turn to the judicial system to be fairly compensated for our inventions,” John O’Hara Horsley, executive vice president and general counsel at Transmeta, wrote in a statement announcing the lawsuit against Intel.

An Intel spokesman told eWEEK that the company continued to study the lawsuit and that it is preparing to defend itself in court.

“Intel disputes the claims of infringement and plans to conduct a rigorous defense,” the spokesman, Chuck Mulloy, said.

Once highly regarded in the PC industry for its Crusoe processor for notebooks, Transmeta has tried to reposition itself as a provider for low-power chips.

Click here to read more about the transformation of Transmeta.

Intel itself has been no stranger to lawsuits. In 2005, Advanced Micro Devices, of Sunnyvale, Calif., filed an antitrust lawsuit against Intel.

A federal judge ruled on Sept. 28 that the lawsuit will go forward with a 2009 court date.

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