ITC to investigate Tessera's patent complaint against Sharp, TI

ITC to investigate Tessera's patent complaint against Sharp, TI
By Jack Robertson, Semiconductor Business News
April 28, 2000 (1:55 p.m. EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20000428S0025

WASHINGTON -- The International Trade Commission agreed Thursday to investigate the complaint by Tessera Inc. that Texas Instruments Inc. and Sharp Electronics Corp. had violated the firm's patents on micro-BGA chip-scale packagaing of semiconductors.

As is common in ITC cases, Tessera is asking that the TI and Sharp chips using the alleged micro-BGA packaging technology be barred from import into the U.S. (see March 28 story).

San Jose-based Tessera alleged in the complaint that negotiations with the two chip makers had broken down over licensing a version of the firm's micro-BGA packaging technology. The packaging design firm has also filed separate patent infringement suits against TI and Sharp in federal district courts in Los Angeles and San Jose.

The ITC will appoint an administrative law judge to process the Tessera complaint and make a preliminary determination in about a year. The full commission will then make a final ruling.