Lawyers for Intel and Broadcom fired their opening salvos before a jury that
must decide whether Broadcom infringed on several Intel patents in the design
and production of the company's communications and networking ICs.
The trial is expected to last three weeks. The case was first filed in August
2000 and has since been split into two cases with the first trial addressing two
patents, one for a networking chip and one for a digital video chip. The second
trial will center on three patents on two digital video chips and one on
packaging, as well as Broadcom'S counterclaims that Intel is engaged in unfair
business practices and abusing industry standards.
"We're going to defend ourselves vigorously and expect to prevail,"
said Bill Blanning, a spokesman for Broadcom.
Broadcom lawyer Terrence McMahon told the jury in a US District Court in
Wilmington, Delaware that the two Intel patents at issue are invalid and
Broadcom also did not infringe upon them. "They're not any good because
everything in them was invented before by someone else.
Intel attorney John Gartman countered that the patents are valid and that
Broadcom did infringe. He said Intel was entitled to damages totaling $82
million for the two patents. Gartman alleged that Broadcom "carefully
crafted a plan" to build its business using Intel's technology.
"Intel's efforts to persuade Broadcom to respect Intel's intellectual
property have been fruitless, leaving Intel little choice but to take direct
legal action in court."
Meanwhile, just last week, Broadcom filed a patent infringement lawsuit of
its own against Intel saying the Silicon Valley chipmaker is infringing on
graphics patents held by Broadcom in chipsets Intel makes for its Pentium III
and other processors.