Netlist (OTCQB: NLST) has launched new patent infringement proceedings against Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) and several major technology companies, escalating its efforts to enforce intellectual property covering advanced memory products.
The company said it filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission seeking exclusion and cease-and-desist orders against Micron, Supermicro (NASDAQ: SMCI), Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) and Lenovo.
Separately, Netlist filed a new lawsuit against Micron in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
Netlist Seeks ITC Orders Against Micron and Other Technology Companies
Netlist’s ITC complaint alleges infringement of four U.S. patents: Nos. 10,025,731, 10,217,523, 12,373,366 and 12,675,407.
According to the company, the patents cover technologies used in DDR5 registered dual in-line memory modules, or RDIMMs, and/or multiplexer combined rank DIMMs, known as MRDIMMs.
Netlist is asking the ITC to investigate Micron, Supermicro, HPE and Lenovo and ultimately issue remedies that could restrict the importation and sale of products found to infringe the asserted patents.
ITC proceedings are particularly significant in semiconductor disputes because the agency can issue exclusion orders preventing infringing products manufactured overseas from entering the United States.
Netlist Files Separate Patent Lawsuit Against Micron
Alongside the ITC action, the company filed a separate complaint against Micron in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
That case asserts U.S. Patent Nos. 10,217,523 and 12,675,407, both of which are also included in the ITC proceeding.
The company alleges that Micron has continued using its patented memory technologies without authorization.
“While its major competitors have licensed Netlist patents for many years, Micron continues its unauthorized use of Netlist technology to gain an unfair competitive advantage and reap historical profits,” Netlist CEO C.K. Hong said.
Hong added that Micron manufactures the allegedly infringing memory products outside the United States, making an ITC exclusion order an important part of Netlist’s enforcement strategy.
DDR5 and MRDIMM Technology at Center of Dispute
The latest litigation centers on technologies used in DDR5 RDIMMs and MRDIMMs, memory products designed for high-performance servers and data center systems.
These types of modules have become increasingly important as cloud computing and artificial intelligence workloads drive demand for higher memory bandwidth, capacity and efficiency.
The company has pursued a broader patent enforcement strategy across the memory industry, arguing that several of its technologies are incorporated into modern server-memory architectures.
The new proceedings add Micron, Supermicro, HPE and Lenovo to the latest phase of that campaign, with the ITC case potentially carrying significant implications if Netlist succeeds in obtaining import restrictions.
The companies named in the complaints will have an opportunity to respond to the company’s allegations as the proceedings advance.
