US research body sues chip tech firm Japan wants to buy
The stakes are high because the disputed items - photoresists – are essential for EUV lithography
www.theregister.com
"The Research Foundation for the State University of New York (SUNY RF) is suing a subsidiary of Japan's JSR Corporation over claims that photoresist materials developed by the foundation were commercialized and patented illegally.
The complaint [PDF] filed on January 25 claims that Inpria Corporation sells advanced photoresists using technology developed as part of a joint research project with SUNY RF, for which it did not acquire a license. Inpria was acquired by JSR in 2021 in a deal said to be worth $514 million.
To further complicate matters, JSR is itself in the process of being acquired by the Japan Investment Corp (JIC), which is overseen by the nation's trade ministry, as part of moves by the local government to revitalize its own semiconductor industry in light of ongoing chip wars between the US and China."
"Going by the complaint, it appears that SUNY RF became suspicious of Inpria when the latter entity filed its own patent infringement action against another business involved in chipmaking equipment, Lam Research Corporation."
Meanwhile, Lam Research Corp. urged a Delaware federal court to pause Inpria Corp.’s patent-infringement suit against it because the outcome of SUNY RF's suit will determine Inpria’s right to sue. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/lam-seeks-to-pause-jsrs-patent-damages-suit-on-chip-making-tech But this just shifts the litigant to SUNY RF.
"SUNY RF is asking for the case to be heard by jury trial. If the trial goes in its favor, SUNY RF wants the relevant patent inventorship records amended, an injunction against Inpria using the patents without license, plus compensation and all the profits from Inpria's alleged commercialization of its technology."