Nvidia wins round against Rambus in patent fight

By David Lawsky

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday tentatively invalidated several Rambus Inc patents key to the microchip designer's disputes against graphics chip maker Nvidia Corp.

The patent office "has now initially rejected all of the patent claims asserted by Rambus against Nvidia in the ITC," or U.S. International Trade Commission, Nvidia general counsel David Shannon said in a statement.

Rambus replied that the game is hardly over.

"The recent action by the (patent office) to re-examine Rambus patents is part of the process and Rambus will have an opportunity to respond," Rambus said.

Rambus, which has spent $300 million on legal disputes with chip makers since 2000, wants Nvidia to pay royalties on memory circuits used in Nvidia graphics chips.

"Nvidia appears to have won one round in a multi-round contest, so we have a lot more decisions to make before they can declare final victory," said David Wu of Global Crown Capital.

The dispute began in June, 2008, when Rambus filed suit in federal court in San Francisco charging that Nvidia had infringed 17 patents. No dollar amount was attached to the suit, but Rambus has won millions in similar suits.

In November, Rambus also filed before the International Trade Commission in Washington, D.C., a U.S. agency that may bar disputed imports, concerning nine of those patents.