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back to article Rambus hopes lower prices will placate EC

Rambus Inc has offered to license some of its chip technology at capped royalty rates, in a bid to end a long-running legal spat with European anti-trust watchdogs. The US-based memory designer has been fighting allegations that it had deceived an industry standard-setting organisation. The European Commission claimed that …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    proof is in the putting

    So they are basically admitting that they have been exploiting the monopoly they gained by hiding the patents.

    Once again the EC/EU is able to bring down a company that is abusing its monopoly while the US justice department can't.

    Anonymous cause I live too close to the path some attack helicopters take to the bombing range.

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  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    yey to the EU :)

    I love the wat the EC/Eu makes companies cry.

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  3. F Seiler
    Stop

    silly them

    is it really that hard...

    1. company invents X

    2. company applies for patent for X

    3. company is granted patent for X

    4. standard organisation hears about + considers X

    5. company applies for patent for X

    6. standard organisation produces standard of which a direct consequence is use of X, or not using X would require special, dedicated work around patent for X

    if 3., 6. cannot happen

    if at time of 4. there is 2. but not yet 3., there are two options: a) company insists on patent, thus 6. will not be able to happen, standards org drops idea. b) company retreats appliance, clearing the way for 6. (thereby losing exclusivity of tech but potentially gaining a large customer base knowing they can X)

    if 3., 4. cannot happen (well, consider and immediately reject X, because 6. cannot happen)

    if 4., 5. cannot happen (patent must be refused by relevant authority, respectively must be lost at first appeal if authority is too thick to realise situation/refuse patent). If it however happens, 6. cannot happen (fallback or whatever).

    after 4., X is in the public domain so forget 5. (really!)

    if we reach 6., profit for everyone, but company has the highest risk (needs to reclaim devel cost, but everyone knows it knows X)

    if we can't reach 6., maybe profit for company

    The stop icon is for Rambus as well as respective standards organisation (IEC?). This carpy algorithm with all its flaws is in the public domain by the time i hit "Post Comment".

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