14 DAY TRIAL // VIA Technologies, Inc, makers of x86 processors, are suing Apple Inc. in the US District Court of Delaware for patent infringement by the chips found inside the iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Apple TV.
VIA is a fabless supplier of power-efficient x86 processors that, according to the company, “are driving system innovation in the PC, client, ultra mobile and embedded markets.”
The chips are said to combine energy-saving features with digital media chipsets and advanced connectivity, multimedia and networking.
The solutions enable a broad spectrum of computing and communication platforms, says VIA.
The chip maker is headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, and has global network links with a customer base that spans leading OEMs and system integrators, according to the company’s about-us.
On September 22, VIA announced that it had taken legal action against Apple Inc. by filing a complaint with the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) and the US District Court of Delaware for patent infringement.
At heart are Apple’s iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV product lines, as well as all associated software.
Given that all the aforementioned devices pack A-series chips, it is reasonable to assume the A4 found in the latest iPhones and iPod touches, and the A5 silicon found in the iPad 2 (and probably the upcoming iPhone 5) are the primary target of the suit.
“VIA has built up an extensive IP portfolio consisting of over 5,000 patents as a result of significant investments in world class technology research and development,” commented Wenchi Chen, CEO, VIA Technologies, Inc. “We are determined to protect our interests and the interests of our stockholders when our patents are infringed upon.”
The patents cited in the suit cover microprocessor functionality that is allegedly featured in Apple’s product lines.
The patents are: US Patent No. 6253312, Method and apparatus for double operand load; and US Patent Nos. 6253311 & 6754810, Instruction set for bi-directional conversion and transfer of integer and floating point data.