Nvidia sues Samsung, Qualcomm for GPU patents and seeks halt to phone sales

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jww20

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NVIDIA has just announced that it is suing both Samsung and Qualcomm for patent infringement on their graphics processor technologies. This is the first time that NVIDIA has ever filed a claim for patent infringement.

The company is asking the U.S International Trade Commission (ITC) and courts in the United States (Delaware) to block shipments of Samsung Galaxy Mobile phones using Qualcomm’s Adreno graphics unit (or GPU), which is virtually in every Snapdragon processor (or SoC), which itself powers a vast number of phones, including Samsung’s.

There is no doubt that if NVIDIA was to win this, the repercussions will extend well beyond Samsung.
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From the last sentence, it looks like Nvidia may be unleashing more lawsuits against a lot more companies too, ugh...

http://www.ubergizmo.com/2014/09/nv...alt-qualcomm-powered-galaxy-phones-shipments/
 
If this is the first time that they have ever filed a patent claim, I'll wait to see the merits of the case before I draw judgment.
 
If its the first time they have ever filed for patent infringement then I would guess that they arent just going for quick cash grab here.
 
The patent descriptions in the complaint seem mostly vague, but rough patent descriptions tend to be. Hard to say without really pouring over these patents, which doesn't seem very interesting to me.

More interesting are two numbers: NVIDIA has 7K patents and hasn't filed a patent suit in 21 years, making this their first. It's kind of unusual for a company to hold so many yet not have legally exercised them, isn't it? They're either pretty lax about protecting their IP or they're particularly good at negotiating licensing, or some combination of both.
 
They have cross licensing agreements with what were traditionally the companies in this area (well consumer facing), Intel and AMD. So they have been legally exercised just not in terms of "offensive" lawsuits. I believe they were used as leverage defensively against Intel for example.

The rise of mobile graphics was only (semi) recently. Also the rise of mobile related lawsuits as well :p Though I wonder if part of this is due to the fact that mobile was a growing and emerging market so companies wanted to "stake their claim" and just sort out the details later.

I do recall (well before this) reading about speculation regarding Qualcomm Adreno and possible patent infringements (not specifically with Nvidia). This was partially related to how closely they guard the details of their architecture and I believe documentation compared to other parties. Qualcomm has also been found guilty in another patent infringement suit which was concluded somewhat recently.
 
Patents in general suck, no doubt. But there is some context to this.
Qualcomm has kept nvidia and others out of the phone market because of exorbitant IP fees for modem patents.
This is just them trying to hit back.

This is also explains why they aren't suing apple, or AMD, etc
 
I have a feeling this is due to them not being able to break into the mobile market as well as they thought they could. They are also getting strong armed out and either forcing cross licensing or keeping their presence in the market alive.
 
Too bad Nvidia can't compete and has turned into a patent troll. I hope ARM revoke their license and Google cancel any rumored Nvidia tablets out of principle.
 
mi7chy said:
Too bad Nvidia can't compete and has turned into a patent troll. I hope ARM revoke their license and Google cancel any rumored Nvidia tablets out of principle.
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the article you didn't read said:
This is the first time that NVIDIA has ever filed a claim for patent infringement.
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Reading is fundamental.
 
mi7chy said:
Don't be ignorant. It's against ARM and Qualcomm.
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Seems to be less ARM, and more Qualcomm Snapdragon and Samsung Exynos based. It is citing graphics patents, and the Exynos and Snapdragons don't use the ARM GPU core (Mali GPU). They use PowerVR on the Exynos and Adreno on the Snapdragons.

Edit: Seems some of the Exynos chips do have Mali GPUs.
 
Older Samsung SoCs like the Hummingbird in original 2010 Galaxy S uses PowerVR. Pretty much everything Exynos since uses Mali GPU like the Mali T628MP6 in the newest Exynos 5433.
 
mi7chy said:
Older Samsung SoCs like the Hummingbird in original 2010 Galaxy S uses PowerVR. Pretty much everything Exynos since uses Mali GPU like the Mali T628MP6 in the newest Exynos 5433.
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The Galaxy S4 Exynos used PowerVR too.
 
mi7chy said:
Too bad Nvidia can't compete and has turned into a patent troll. I hope ARM revoke their license and Google cancel any rumored Nvidia tablets out of principle.
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AMD sued Samsung and several of its subsidiaries in February 2008 for allegedly infringing the '592 patent and five other patents.
 
Why sue the customer? Samsung is a customer of ARM so if Nvidia has an issue with Mali they need to go after ARM like they are doing with Qualcomm. And, how come Nvidia isn't after other ARM and Qualcomm customers? Seems like selectively targeting a successful company like a typical patent troll.
 
mi7chy said:
Why sue the customer? Samsung is a customer of ARM so if Nvidia has an issue with Mali they need to go after ARM like they are doing with Qualcomm. And, how come Nvidia isn't after other ARM and Qualcomm customers? Seems like selectively targeting a successful company like a typical patent troll.
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Maybe other companies have decided to pay up :)?
 
bexamous said:
Next to Samsung/Qualcomm?
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Next to Samsung and Qualcomm, is ARM successful? Yes.

That's beside the point, though, isn't it? His assertion is that NVIDIA is selectively targeting successful companies, not that NVIDIA is targeting only those with revenues or net profits greater than ARM's.
 
Nvidia is suing direct competitors, leveraging patents to force more cross licensing.

Problem is they aren't as large in the mobile sector add they are in the discrete market.
 
Trimlock said:
Nvidia is suing direct competitors, leveraging patents to force more cross licensing.

Problem is they aren't as large in the mobile sector add they are in the discrete market.
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That's right but for suing someone over violating patents company size is not a matter.
 
Digital Viper-X- said:
Maybe other companies have decided to pay up :)?
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That's possible. If that's the case the the claim could have merit.

As for, why now, why samsung/qualcomm and not apple, arm, powervr, et al. Well nvidia can sue anyone they see fit. If they succeed, they could go after everyone else.
 
Stoly said:
That's possible. If that's the case the the claim could have merit.

As for, why now, why samsung/qualcomm and not apple, arm, powervr, et al. Well nvidia can sue anyone they see fit. If they succeed, they could go after everyone else.
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Their strategy from my Point of view is very simple. They are suing the ones that probably have the weakest Position and are huge companies with lots of revenues from the mobile Segment. Furthermore Nvidia has only very little business releationships with them. Furthermore we do not know with whom Nvidia is already talking in background.

However if Nvidia is successful you can bet that they will go after others as well if they are not already agreeing outside of court.
 
mi7chy said:
Why sue the customer? Samsung is a customer of ARM so if Nvidia has an issue with Mali they need to go after ARM like they are doing with Qualcomm
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One reason is that Samsung has more money and cannot defend themselves as well, because the technology is from another company. Also, they probably have fewer relevant patents to retaliate (maybe foundry related?).

Another possible reason is that NVidia is an ARM licensee, which could mean that patent litigation might be governed by an arbitration clause. Suing the other party's customers (of which Samsung is the biggest) is a common way to create pressure during negotiations.
 
I guess Samsung won't be producing any nvidia chips in the near future.

Good luck dealing with TSMC, nvidia.
 
Nvidia and AMD have a cross licensing agreement which allow them to use each other patents in the developing of GPUs.

When Imageon was being developed and its products were being developed from AMD, it was likely using the patent portfolio from both sides which would be okay if the products were sold and developed from AMD.

However when it got sold to qualcomm, it is questionable if they got rights to the access of Nvidia's patents. So I am guessing that is where this lawsuit stems and its actually a valid lawsuit if that is the case.
 
Ticking off the biggest player in the mobile industry isnt such a wise choice if you are looking to break into the market is what he really meant.
 
Well, Samsung would have been a good alternative to TSMC but this is just going to throw up a stumbling block to any future partnership.

And targeting a product integrator because of an issue in some OEM part sounds kind of childish to me.

If it was an actual Exynos design it would make sense, but as far as I know Samsung makes no GPUs.
 
im not sure you can actually do that, the part manufacturer has to be licensed, not the integrator.
 
The Mac said:
im not sure you can actually do that, the part manufacturer has to be licensed, not the integrator.
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You would think the manufacturer would indemnify the integrator. There are probably thousands of patents in just the GPU. IANAL and I don't play one on TV.
 
I dont think they are liable, so i don't think indemnification is necessary

That having been said, if nvidia is including Sammy in the lawsuit, Samsung itself must be in violation of the ip.

Perhaps on the software side.

The lawyer at nivdia aren't stupid, they must have some basis for the inclusion.
 
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