AMD Sues Mediatek for GPU, APU Patent Infringement

Megalith

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AMD is suing MediaTek, alleging the Taiwanese company infringed on two patents related to GPUs and APUS used in TVs and smart devices. “AMD's looking for cash compensation for past, continuing and future infringement, along with a court order to block future infringement.”

This lawsuit follows a complaint AMD filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in 2017 against MediaTek, Sigma Designs, and other companies. AMD's complaints are the same as they are now: companies violated several patents related to its graphics technologies in their quests to offer cheap-but-good TVs. The ITC decided in AMD's favor in August 2018, giving the company the legal backing it needed to file a suit like this one.
 
Didn't think AMD was the kind of company to pursue this avenue, so maybe it is a valid claim. Let's hope AMD isn't going to become a patent troll.
 
Didn't think AMD was the kind of company to pursue this avenue, so maybe it is a valid claim. Let's hope AMD isn't going to become a patent troll.
op said:
This lawsuit follows a complaint AMD filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in 2017 against MediaTek, Sigma Designs, and other companies. AMD's complaints are the same as they are now: companies violated several patents related to its graphics technologies in their quests to offer cheap-but-good TVs. The ITC decided in AMD's favor in August 2018
Emphasis mine
 
I'm always weary of major patent lawsuits like this. IMHO most of them are of the "rectangle with rounded corners" frivolous type.

That said, based on the fact that this resulted from an ITC complaint that AMD won, and the fact that AMD usually isn't the type of company to play the patent troll game, I'm thinking this complaint has real merit.

I'm actually kind of glad to see AMD swing back for once. I'm too used to them just being a punching bag.
 
Didn't think AMD was the kind of company to pursue this avenue, so maybe it is a valid claim. Let's hope AMD isn't going to become a patent troll.

They've done in numerous of times, it's not often and as obscure as Nvidia had a run off at one point just suing everyone and our favorite Qualcomm.
 
I never liked meditek. Companies that make android devices should release their source code as part of the GPL agreement, but mediatek never does.
 
I never liked meditek. Companies that make android devices should release their source code as part of the GPL agreement, but mediatek never does.
Wait, Mediatek releases their own Android ROMs? I thought they just made SoCs. Are some Mediatek-based phones just a white label service? I'm missing something.
 
Wait, Mediatek releases their own Android ROMs? I thought they just made SoCs. Are some Mediatek-based phones just a white label service? I'm missing something.
My first tablet was a Mediatek. They generally make sketchy hardware, have even sketchier support, and all at a price so low that sending it in for service costs more than buying a new one. It's not hard to imagine them stealing IP.
 
Wait, Mediatek releases their own Android ROMs? I thought they just made SoCs. Are some Mediatek-based phones just a white label service? I'm missing something.

I'd just google mediatek GPL violation, theres a few articles, some going back from 2014.
 
It's probably worth mentioning that I'm a GNU zealot. I'm not refuting, just very curious since I have not heard about this and all the articles I'm finding seem really fishy.

I'd just google mediatek GPL violation, theres a few articles, some going back from 2014.
I did search a bit, but was unable to find a good case against Mediatek, or the evidence that they released relevant binary blobs. That's why I'm thinking we're talking about white label devices (an attempt to dump the GPL responsibility on another, short lived entity -- which seems most likely) or maybe their blobs are licensed, marketed, and sold in countries that don't even care to enforce GPL. That would explain why I haven't heard anything about this. I've never seen a product made by them, so I don't know.

My first tablet was a Mediatek. They generally make sketchy hardware, have even sketchier support, and all at a price so low that sending it in for service costs more than buying a new one. It's not hard to imagine them stealing IP.
But was it branded and sold as a Mediatek tablet? Or did it just have an SoC made by them and branded differently? Upon searching I find loads of rebranded vendors (which appears as a thinly veiled front company to take the legal fall for GPL violation).

In any case, all these articles I've found on the topic are very poorly written, or cited from misdirected comments in a forum. Needs more matter and less reeeee.
 
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