Broadcom sues Intel – again

Broadcom and Intel are at each other's throats again, this time with the former claiming that Intel's processors and other chips use Broadcom intellectual property without permission.

In a lawsuit, filed yesterday with the Federal District Court for Eastern Texas, Intel is alleged to have wilfully violated certain Broadcom graphics chip patents and the company wants unspecified damages in return.

Intel is currently sueing Broadcom as owner of communications chips developed by a Broadcom acquisition, Altima Communications. Intel sued Altima in August 2000. Broadcom bought Altima last September.

And the pair only made up over their previous legal spat this time last year, settling trade secret theft allegations in an Intel suit and Broadcom counter-suit.

Broadcom, don't forget, owns ServerWorks, one of Intel's key server chipset partners. Intel is, of course, developing the 870 chipset, as an in-house alternative to the ServerWorks products. The 870 is due early next year. ®

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