Nvidia infringed Samsung patents, ITC judge rules

A judge at the US International Trade Commission (ITC) has ruled that Nvidia did in fact infringe three patents held by Samsung. The ruling isn't final, however, since it's subject to review by the full agency. A final decision on the matter is expected in a few months.

An Nvidia spokesperson expressed the company's disappointment at the news, while Nvidia stocks dropped 27 cents to $32.66 in after-hours trading following the release of the information.

The spat between the two companies dates back to 2014, when Nvidia filed a patent lawsuit at the ITC against Samsung and Qualcomm, claiming their GPUs infringed some of its patents. Samsung then filed a retaliatory case against Nvidia, claiming that the Shield tablets infringe three of its patents that relate to how chips are made.

In the meantime, the full ITC has found that there's no merit to Nvidia's lawsuit, but obviously the company has vowed to appeal. The ITC can block products from being sold in the US, which is why companies like to use it for such disputes.

Source | Via