Gov't IP hearings to cover chip, software patents
![]() |
Gov't IP hearings to cover chip, software patents
By George Leopold, EE Times
February 22, 2002 (5:54 a.m. EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20020221S0066
WASHINGTON Government regulators will hold four days of public hearings next week at the University of California, Berkeley, on a range of intellectual-property (IP) issues, including hardware, software and semiconductor patents.
The hearings, sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department's antitrust division, are part of an effort to reexamine the growing tensions between intellectual-property rights and competitive technology markets. They will begin Monday (Feb. 25).
A key impetus for the hearings, U.S. officials said, is the proliferation of patent filings and awards over the last decade. Many observers worry that patent proliferation is stifling competition in electronics, biotechnology and other economically critical industries.
A Feb. 27 hearing will cover software patents and the Internet. Along with a handful of patent experts from academia and law firms, the panel includes industry execut ives from Borland Software Corp., Amazon.com and Divx Networks Inc.
A Feb. 28 panel on hardware and semiconductor patents includes executives from Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Micron Technology and Texas Instruments.
The IP hearings have prompted industry concerns that the government may be preparing to rewrite its guidelines on intellectual property. In the past, the Justice Department has issued favorable opinions on licensing issues like patent pooling.
Government officials said the concerns were unfounded. "There is no hidden agenda to these hearings," said Federal Trade Commission chief Timothy Muris.
Related News
- SMIC: Advanced Process Technologies and Gov't Funding (Part 2)
- SMIC: Advanced Process Technologies and Gov't Funding
- Gov'T of Canada Invests $7M In Tundra Semiconductor to Develop Next-Generation RapidIO Technology
- Secafy selects Siemens' EDA tools for innovative hardware security development
- RIKEN adopts Siemens' emulation and High-Level Synthesis platforms for next-generation AI device research
Breaking News
- Arteris Joins Intel Foundry Accelerator Ecosystem Alliance Program to Support Advanced Semiconductor Designs
- SkyeChip Joins Intel Foundry Accelerator IP Alliance
- Siemens and Intel Foundry advance their collaboration to enable cutting-edge integrated circuits and advanced packaging solutions for 2D and 3D IC
- Cadence Expands Design IP Portfolio Optimized for Intel 18A and Intel 18A-P Technologies, Advancing AI, HPC and Mobility Applications
- Synopsys and Intel Foundry Propel Angstrom-Scale Chip Designs on Intel 18A and Intel 18A-P Technologies
Most Popular
- QuickLogic Delivers eFPGA Hard IP for Intel 18A Based Test Chip
- Siemens collaborates with TSMC to drive further innovation in semiconductor design and integration
- Aion Silicon Joins Intel Foundry Accelerator Design Services Alliance to Deliver Next-Generation Custom SoCs at Scale
- TSMC Unveils Next-Generation A14 Process at North America Technology Symposium
- BOS Semiconductors to Partner with Intel to Accelerate Automotive AI Innovation
![]() |
E-mail This Article | ![]() |
![]() |
Printer-Friendly Page |