Monolithic Power Systems Announces Victory In Patent Dispute With O2 Micro

Monolithic Power Systems (MPS) announced two rulings by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which resulted in a complete victory for MPS and its customers in ongoing patent litigations with O2 Micro International, Ltd. (O2).

In the first ruling, the Court affirmed the judgment from the United States District Court of Northern California that all of the claims of US Patent No. 6,396,722 (the ’722 patent) asserted against MPS and its customers were invalid on the grounds of obviousness. In the second ruling, the Court dismissed O2’s action and overturned a judgment in the Eastern District Court of Texas against Taiwan Sumida Electronics, Inc., an MPS customer, on the basis that O2 cannot assert the same invalid claims.

"We are delighted by the results announced today," said Michael Hsing, CEO of MPS. "O2 Micro has been harassing MPS and MPS customers far too long, asserting meritless claims." MPS has successfully defended several of O2’s patents from the same family as the ’722 patent. He continued, "Today’s rulings confirm what we have said all along-those claims should never have been asserted against us or our customers because they are invalid."

In December 2008, O2 instituted another action alleging patent infringement of several claims from Patent No. 7,417,382 (the ’382 patent) against MPS and several customers before the United States International Trade Commission. The ’382 patent belongs to the same family as the ’722 patent that the Court found invalid. Proceedings regarding the ’382 patent are also pending in the Northern District Court of California.