Harvard settles lawsuit against Samsung over chip production patents

Jan 28 (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) has settled a lawsuit brought by Harvard University that accused it of infringing two patents covering technology for producing computer chips, according to the university and court documents.

 

Harvard said in a court filing on Monday that it would dismiss the case with prejudice, which means it cannot be refiled. Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton said on Tuesday that the school was "pleased to have reached an amicable resolution" with Samsung.

 

Spokespeople for Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

 

The Cambridge, Massachusetts university filed the lawsuit last year, alleging that Samsung uses the school's patented innovations without a license to make smartphone microprocessors and memory chips. The lawsuit said the inventions cover "novel processes and materials for deposition of thin films that contain cobalt or tungsten metals" that are "essential to key components" of devices like computers and cell phones.

 

Harvard had asked the court for unspecified monetary damages and an order blocking Samsung from infringing its patents.

 

Samsung did not respond to the allegations.

 

The case is President and Fellows of Harvard College v. Samsung Electronics Co, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, No. 2:24-cv-00636.