Scientists sue Intel in Core 2 Duo clash
Patented tech used without permission, boffins claim
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A band of boffins is suing Intel, claiming the chip giant pinched their patented technology and used it in the Core 2 Duo processor design without their say-so.
The patent application was filed way back in 1996 and granted in 1998, long before the advent of the Core 2 Duo design. It details a "table-based data speculation circuit for [a] parallel processing computer", in which the chip makes a guess on what program instructions are likely to be coming up next by refering to a data table holding information on past predictions that proved incorrect.
The reseachers work was carried out at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the lawsuit was filed on their behalf by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (Warf), EETimes reports. Warf is a non-profit organisation.
In a complaint filed with the US District Court of Western Wisconsin, Warf maintains the Core 2 Duo platform makes use of just such an approach. Warf approached Intel in 2001 with a view to licensing the technology to the chip giant, but its overtures were rejected, the organisation claimed.
Four years later, IBM agreed to license the technology, but only after Warf had initiated legal proceedings against it. The two settled out of court.
We suspect that's what will happen this time around. In the meantime, Warf is asking the court to declare that Intel's Core 2 Duo product infringe its patents, to block the sale of said chippery, and to award it compensation and damages.
COMMENTS
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Just buy them off, Intel. A year on, and Core2 is still demolishing the desktop market, and the core-derrived Xeons aren't doing too bad either. Don't let anything rain on your (For once, well-deserved) parade.
besides, if you have to stop selling Core2's, you may be forced into desktop Itanic.
....scary thought, isn't it?
@Amateurs
Ummm you are sort of right but WARF is from the University of Wisconsin. (This sort of hints WHERE they are at!) As they are a part of the STATE OF WISCONSIN, they are subject to the State of Wisconsin laws. Taking this to court in Texas would be like the UK taking someone to a court in France - won't happen.
@Devil, er, Intel Inside by Anonymous Coward.
Opteron (Barcelona) the better chip? so where is it?
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=7339
stealing techs from competitor. hmmm, the Core 2 Duo has long been using 128-bit internal data paths and Barcelona (as well as phenom) just adopted it. L3 cache? this is old intel server technology. and many more here:
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/480
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