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Verdict in Infineon-Rambus Legal Battle Possible Wednesday
May 07, 2001 6:52 PM
By Michael Buettner
Dow Jones Newswires
RICHMOND, Va. -- As jurors heard final evidence in the legal battle between Rambus Inc. and Infineon Technologies AG, the case's attorneys said they expect the case to be handed over to the jury Tuesday, with a verdict possible as soon as Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Robert B. Payne is expected to schedule summations and jury instructions Tuesday. While filings of last-minute motions could delay giving the case to the jury, he made it clear during Monday's session he wouldn't encourage such filings, particularly any raising issues not argued previously or offering new arguments in support of previously raised issues.
Judge Payne had said during pretrial hearings in April that he intended to move the case as expeditiously as possible.
The case originally was brought by Rambus, which sued Infineon for alleged patent infringement. Last week, Judge Payne dismissed all of Rambus' 57 infringement claims, decisions the company's plans to appeal.
He ruled early Monday that a trial could proceed on counterclaims filed against Rambus by the German chip maker. Infineon (IFX) claims Rambus (RMBS) committed fraud and violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations, or RICO, Act by obtaining and seeking to enforce its patents on computer chip memory systems. Judge Payne also ruled that the jury would be asked to consider whether Rambus should be held liable for damages.
The case springs from Rambus' contention that it holds patents on the most widely used systems of managing computer memory systems. The company has filed patent-infringement claims against several other manufacturers in addition to Infineon.
Rambus won one small victory Monday when Judge Payne ruled against a motion by Infineon seeking to reinstate a claim that Rambus violated antitrust laws in pursuing enforcement of its claimed patents.