Proxim inks first licensing pact in effort to enforce wireless LAN patents

Proxim inks first licensing pact in effort to enforce wireless LAN patents
By Semiconductor Business News
May 10, 2001 (9:30 a.m. EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20010510S0018

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--Proxim Inc. here today announced its first royalty-bearing licensing agreement for technology used in wireless local area networks after launching a patent-enforcement campaign aimed at suppliers of products conforming to the 2.4-GHz IEEE 802.11b standard.

Proxim said it has inked an agreement with Compex Inc. to license U.S. patents for direct-sequence technology used in wireless LANs for IEEE 802.11b networks. Details about the licensing pact with the Belgium-based company were not released.

Two months ago, Proxim started its campaign to enforce patents in direct-sequence wireless LANs. The Silicon Valley company filed U.S. lawsuits against six companies selling wireless LAN products for the IEEE 802.11b standard (see March 8 story), and Proxim asked the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to stop the import of products from eight Asian companies (s ee March 9 story).

One of the companies being sued by Proxim--chip supplier Intersil Corp. of Irving, Calif.--blasted the patent enforcement campaign and promised to fight the legal action in court (see March 16 story).

But Proxim claims it owns key U.S. patents for implementation of wireless products that comply with the IEEE 802.11b standard. "Our goal in taking these legal actions remains simply to protect our intellectual property and to receive fair compensation for its use," declared Kevin Negus, vice president of business development at Proxim. "We hope that other companies follow Compex's lead and sign up for our early licensee program."