IXYS Claims Victory, Reversal In Patent Suit Against International Rectifier
IXYS announced that the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a ruling constituting complete victory for IXYS in its ongoing patent dispute with International Rectifier (IR)®. The appellate court ruled in favor of IXYS on all remaining claims of infringement, stating that "IXYS is entitled to entry of final judgment in its favor as to all claims."
The ruling of the Federal Circuit is subject to a possible appeal by IR to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The decision reversed an earlier finding that IXYS had infringed on three IR patents. The court also threw out the damage award, and an order that IXYS stop using the patented technology. The 7-year-old dispute is over the production process for metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistors.
"We are delighted in this ruling, which justifies our decision to stand firm on our principles in this lawsuit," stated Dr. Nathan Zommer, President and CEO of IXYS. "We believe that this ruling puts a conclusive end to this sordid affair and reaffirms our technical leadership in power MOS and IGBT technology."
In response to the ruling, IR’s Graham Robertson, Vice President of Global Marketing and Corporate Communications, was quoted as stating, "We are disappointed with the Court’s decision. We are in the process of reviewing this decision and determining a course of action".
