Hitachi heeft de US International Trade Commission gevraagd om vijf DRAM fabrikanten toe te voegen aan de rechtszaak die Rambus Inc. eerder dit jaar tegen Hitachi heeft geopend. Rambus beschuldigd Hitachi ervan dat zij in hun SDRAM en SH-x processors gebruik maken van door Rambus Inc. gepatenteerde timing technologie. Hitachi beweert echter dat Rambus deze patenten onrechtmatig van de JEDEC heeft 'gejat'. De Hitachi SH-4 processor en de SDRAM produkten van de eerder genoemde vijf DRAM fabrikanten worden gebruikt in de Sega Dreamcast. De Dreamcast is toevallig weer een grote concurrent voor de Playstation II, waar Rambus chips in verpakt worden:
Hitachi has contended that it is being unfairly targeted by Rambus and yesterday asked the ITC to add the five foreign suppliers to the suit. Hitachi claims that because each of the suppliers uses virtually the same technology and because each has sold its SDRAM chips into the Dreamcast console, the companies should be included in the ITC investigation.[...] The company also reiterated a claim that its SDRAM technology was developed in compliance with an industry open JEDEC standard. The company said the other five memory suppliers also produce their SDRAMs in accordance with the same standard.
Hitachi asserted that the addition of the other DRAM producers in the ITC case would support its claim that the memory chips use a nonproprietary industry standard that are not protected by patents. Sources said that while Hitachi's peers in the DRAM market have quietly championed its efforts to defend against Rambus' claim, the latest action could bring most of the industry's major suppliers under the public spotlight.
over de te gebruiken hardware.
