US ITC Investigates Samsung’s HBM and DDR5 Patent Infringement Claims

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has initiated an investigation into semiconductor patent infringement allegations filed by semiconductor company Netlist against Samsung Electronics.

Netlist announced on Jan. 2 that the ITC voted on Dec. 30 (local time) last year to commence an investigation into Samsung Electronics and its customers Google and Super Micro. Depending on whether the ITC recognizes Samsung Electronics’ patent infringement against Netlist, the ITC will decide whether to ban the import of the relevant products into the United States.

Netlist claims that Samsung Electronics’ core memory products, including High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) and DDR5, have infringed on its technology patents. The company has requested the ITC to issue exclusion orders and cease-and-desist orders to prevent the import of the allegedly infringing products into the United States.

The ITC stated that it will set a target date for completing the investigation within 45 days of initiating the probe, with the policy of issuing a final determination on the investigation as soon as possible.

Hong Chun-ki, Chief Executive Officer of Netlist, said, “We welcome the ITC’s decision to investigate the respondents’ unfair trade practices,” adding, “Netlist will continue to respond firmly to prevent the unauthorized use of our intellectual property rights.”