Nazomi sues ARM for patent infringement in Java acceleration circuits

Nazomi sues ARM for patent infringement in Java acceleration circuits
By Semiconductor Business News
May 28, 2002 (1:37 p.m. EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20020528S0010

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--Nazomi Communications Inc. here today announced a patent infringement lawsuit against ARM Ltd., accusing the U.K.-based processor core supplier of violating its technology for Java-software acceleration.

Four-year-old Nazomi alleges that ARM's products and technologies are infringing on its U.S. Patent No. 6,332,215, and it is seeking a permanent injunction against the company as well as unspecified damages.

"Nazomi's intellectual property is the cornerstone of our business and is one of our most prized assets," stated Mukesh Patel, president and CEO of the Santa Clara-based startup. The company emerged a couple years ago after developing Java accelerator circuits for RISC and CISC-based processors used in wireless handsets and networking systems (see Oct. 19, 2000, story).

Patel contended that Nazomi's patented technology was "key to providing ubiquit ous computing over wireless and other networks." He added, "We must assure that our investment as well as our customers' investments in these technologies are protected around the globe."

ARM in Cambridge, England, denounced the suit as "frivolous," and the company said it is confident that its products to not infringe upon the cited patents. "ARM performs extensive patent research during the development of its products," said Mike Muller, chief technology officer of ARM. "Having reviewed our technology, it is obvious that we don't infringe the Nazomi patents."

The RISC processor core supplier said it has been in discussions with Nazomi, and it has "given them every opportunity to indicate the basis upon which they believe that an infringement may exist," said David MacKay, general counsel at ARM. "We have every confidence that we shall prevail in this case and intend pursuing Nazomi for all legal costs incurred by ARM as a result of these premature and ill-conceived proceedings,"he added.

The pa tent infringement suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for Northern California. Nazomi said it is represented by Cooley Goodward, a Palo Alto-based intellectual property law firm.