15 May 2012

Avago and TriQuint settle BAW filter patent dispute

Avago Technologies Ltd of San Jose, CA, USA and Singapore (a designer, developer and supplier of III-V-based analog interface components for communications, industrial and consumer applications) and RF front-end component maker TriQuint Semiconductor Inc of Hillsboro, OR, USA have agreed to settle all claims between the two firms concerning intellectual property for bulk acoustic wave (BAW) filters.

In July 2009, TriQuint filed a complaint in the US District Court for the District of Arizona against Avago seeking a judgment that four of Avago’s US patents were not infringed upon by any TriQuint products and were invalid. The complaint further alleged that certain Avago products infringed TriQuint’s US patents. That September 2009, Avago filed counterclaims alleging that TriQuint’s products infringed ten of its US patents and seeking damages and injunctive relief. TriQuint then filed an anti-trust counterclaim alleging anti-competitive conduct through its acquisition of the BAW business of Infineon Technologies Inc and a series of acquisitions of BAW-related patents from Infineon and other companies, and through other anti-competitive conduct in the market.

The two firms had been due to go to trial this July, but have now entered into patent cross licenses and have agreed to dismiss all related litigation. The specific terms of the settlement and the resulting licensing agreement are confidential.

“We are pleased to have reached an amicable resolution with TriQuint,” comments Avago’s president & CEO Hock Tan. “We are happy to have successfully put this litigation behind us,” adds TriQuint’s CEO Ralph Quinsey. TriQuint spent $19.2m on litigation expense last year, and another $3.9m in first-quarter 2012, due mainly to the Avago dispute. The firm had expected litigation expense to rise to about $11m in second-quarter 2012 as it prepared for trial.

Tags: Avago TriQuint BAW filter

Visit: www.triquint.com

Visit: www.avagotech.com