Hynix case final judgment vacated and case remanded;
In Micron case, Court affirmed Rambus spoliated documents,
dismissal sanction vacated and case remanded
SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Rambus Inc. (Nasdaq:RMBS), one of the world's premier technology
licensing companies, today announced that the Court of Appeals for the
Federal Circuit (CAFC) has issued its decisions in cases with Hynix
Semiconductor (000660.KS) and Micron Technology Inc. (Nasdaq:MU). In the
ruling in the Micron case, the CAFC affirmed the district court's
determination that Rambus spoliated documents, but vacated the court's
dismissal sanction and remanded the case for further consideration by
the U.S. District of Delaware Court. In its ruling in the Hynix case,
the CAFC vacated the district court's spoliation findings where it had
found that Rambus had not spoliated documents. The CAFC further vacated
the court's final judgment, and remanded the case to the U.S. District
Court for the Northern District of California (NDCA) for reconsideration.
"We are very disappointed with the decisions in these cases," said
Thomas Lavelle, senior vice president and general counsel at Rambus. "We
are hopeful when the district courts reconsider these decisions, they
will find, as we believe, there was no bad faith and no prejudice."
At issue in both of these cases is when Rambus reasonably foresaw
litigation. Both district court judges in these matters identified
different dates, with the NDCA determining Rambus did not engage in bad
faith, while the Delaware Court determined that Rambus executed its
document retention policy during a time when it reasonably foresaw
litigation.
"Rambus has a rich history of developing breakthrough innovations that
have enabled a broad spectrum of great electronic products," said Harold
Hughes, president and chief executive officer at Rambus. "While today's
decisions are disappointing, our commitment to innovation is unwavering.
Rambus is a resilient company, and we will continue to move our business
forward. This is true for our semiconductor business as well as the
lighting and display business and the newly-announced acquisition of
Cryptography Research."
The Hynix Matter (CAFC 2099-1299, -1347)
This case was originally filed by Hynix against Rambus in August 2000.
The case was split into three separate phases with Rambus prevailing in
all three phases. The first phase considered Hynix's allegations that
certain Rambus patents should be unenforceable under the doctrine of
unclean hands and spoliation.
The second phase dealt with Rambus' allegations that Hynix memory
products infringed its patents. A jury found in favor of Rambus by
agreeing that Hynix memory products infringe all ten Rambus patent
claims and awarded Rambus damages.
In the third and final phase of the case, Hynix (together with Micron
and Nanya) alleged Rambus engaged in antitrust and fraud during its
participation in a standard-setting organization called JEDEC in the
early 1990s. A jury, again, found in favor of Rambus finding it had
acted properly during its participation in JEDEC. Hynix appealed these
decisions.
The Micron Matter (CAFC 2009-1263)
This case was originally filed by Micron against Rambus in August 2000.
The case was split into three separate phases with the first phase
concerning allegations of unclean hands and spoliation. The district
court found in favor of Micron and held that the Rambus patents at issue
in this case were unenforceable against Micron. Rambus appealed the
decision.
Rambus management will discuss this decision during a special conference
call today at 2:00 p.m. PT. The call will be webcast and can be accessed
through the Rambus website. A replay will be available following the
call on Rambus' Investor Relations website or for one week at the
following numbers: (800) 642-1687 (domestic) or (706) 645-9291
(international) with ID# 68227784. Today's rulings can be found at: http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/dailylog.html.
About Rambus Inc.
Founded in 1990, Rambus is one of the world's premier technology
licensing companies. As a company of inventors, Rambus focuses on the
development of technologies that enrich the end-user experience of
electronic systems. Its breakthrough innovations and solutions help
industry-leading companies bring superior products to market. Rambus
licenses both its world-class patent portfolio, as well as its family of
leadership and industry-standard solutions. Headquartered in Sunnyvale,
California, Rambus has regional offices in North Carolina, Ohio, India,
Germany, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Additional information is available
at www.rambus.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements under the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding
our intention to continue our innovations, filing of patents and efforts
to be fairly compensated for our patented inventions. Such
forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates
and projections about our industry, management's beliefs, and certain
assumptions made by our management. Actual results may differ
materially. Our business generally is subject to a number of risks which
are described more fully in our SEC filings including our 10-K and 10-Qs.
RMBSLN
Rambus Public Relations
Linda Ashmore, 408-462-8411
lashmore@rambus.com
Source: Rambus Inc.
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