Patents, lawsuits, networking

3Com-Realtek Settlement Replaced by $70 Million Licensing Agreement

Wade Roush 7/15/08

Marlborough, MA-based 3Com and Realtek Semiconductor Corporation of Hsinchu, Taiwan, said yesterday that they’ve resolved a longstanding patent dispute over Realtek network controller chips that 3Com claimed appropriated aspects of its parallel processing technology. 3Com won a $45.3 million judgment against Realtek in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in April, but the new agreement nullifies that settlement, replacing it with a $70 million licensing payment to 3Com that will allow Realtek to continue sell chips containing the disputed technology.