Intel Corp is paying Cyrix Corp $5m to settle the two companies’ patent disputes and has dismissed infringement claims that centered on portions of a patent describing external memory and paging software functions of a personal computer that are governed by the microprocessor – the only part of the 80386 and 80486 patents not covered by Intel’s patent cross licence agreements with the fabricators that are making Cyrix’s chips; Cyrix had been counter-suing alleging patent misuse; Intel granted Cyrix a paid-up licence under the system-level claims 2 and 6 of the ‘338 patent, which also protects Cyrix customers from infringement suits by Intel, so Twinhead Ltd of Taiwan can now ship its machines to the US; however there is still outstanding legislation between Intel and Cyrix, and the loser of future litigation will pay the other party’s legal expenses if specific criteria are met; Intel reserves the right to appeal another verdict in favour of Cyrix, and if it wins, Cyrix will have to hand the $5m back.
