Opti postpones liquidation to consider patent infringement suits

Opti postpones liquidation to consider patent infringement suits
By Semiconductor Business News
January 4, 2002 (4:21 p.m. EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20020104S0012

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- Opti Inc., once a high-flying PC chip set supplier, today announced postponement of its voluntary liquidation plan to give the company more time to evaluate its intellectual property (IP) and the potential for filing patent infringement suits against other IC manufacturers.

Last year, Opti's board of directors voted to shut down the troubled set chip company after it was unable to find a buyer (see Sept. 10 story). Opti's product line and technology covers controller devices for liquid crystal displays (LCDs), 1394 serial links, and Universal Serial Bus (USB) applications in computers.

In announcing the postponement of Opti's shutdown, the board of directors emphasized that it does not see any change in the company's business prospects.

However, Opti will proceed with a distribution to its shareholders of cash and shares of stock that the company holds in Tripath Technology Inc., a supplier of digital-power processing amplifiers in Santa Clara. Opti said it will also postpone its annual meeting of shareholders until the second quarter of 2002.