ITC Reviews Rambus-NVIDIA Patent Dispute

Skies may look like they're clearing for NVIDIA, now that the GPU maker is finally getting around to launching its DirectX 11 graphics cards. However, not all clouds seem ready to disperse, as the patent litigations with Rambus are still very much alive and kicking. In fact, back in January, the International Trade Commission (ITC) gave a ruling that, while it dismissed some patent claims, reached the conclusion that NVIDIA had, in fact, violated three of the plaintiff's patents. NVIDIA subsequently filed for a full review of the claims, which is now scheduled to complete in May.

The patents in question deal with DRAM memory and the NVIDIA memory controllers that are part of products in the nForce, GeForce, Tesla and Tegra series. The ITC's decision classified two of the five patents as invalid and unenforceable, but found validity in the remaining three.

It is this decision that the Commission will analyze, with a final ruling expected to be given on May 24. Depending on the conclusion drawn, the consequences may be either minor or quite serious for the Santa Clara GPU maker.

If the patent claims are found invalid, NVIDIA will be able to go about its business as usual. However, if even just one of the three claims is found legitimate, the ITC may decide to impose an import ban, which would have serious consequences on not just the company itself, but also all of its partners and customers, including Palit, MSI, Gigabyte, ASUS, HP, Biostar and EVGA, among others. Of course, in case things get heated for NVIDIA, there is the other possibility that things will be settled out of court, through a financial agreement.

Of course, NVIDIA has no intention of backing down now, being determined to keep fighting the claims until the end. Of course, the same can be said of Rambus. All that remains is to see the conclusion that the ITC reaches.