Intel Corp has responded to Intergraph Corp’s patent lawsuit against it by filing a motion for summary judgement, saying of the alleged infringements that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact. Intel says its defense is straightforward, and so hopes to avoid a drawn-out trial by jury. The company maintains that it signed a cross-licensing agreement with National Semiconductor Inc for rights to use technology from the Fairchild Clipper RISC processor before the Fairchild division was sold off to Intergraph in 1987. Intergraph is also seeking damages against Intel for anti-competitive behavior, now also the subject of a suit from the Federal Trade Commission. Intergraph CEO Jim Meadlock told Reuters that his company’s drop in position from number one in the Intel workstation market at the end of 1996 to its current position of number three or four was directly attributable to [Intel] withholding information.’ Intel denies the charges. Whether Intergraph would have maintained its leading market position in the face of aggressive new competition from Compaq Computer Corp and Dell Computer Corp, putting aside any alleged interference from Intel, will no doubt be part of the ongoing argument.
