Officials at Hsinchu-based PixArt Imaging Inc (
Agilent -- which is the world's largest manufacturer of scientific testing equipment -- has accused PixArt of copying one of its optical motion sensor patents used in advanced computer mice and is now requesting damages through the North California District Court, a statement from the company said.
If found guilty, the Hsinchu-based PixArt may have to pay damages and could be barred from selling the component to any company that imports, distributes or sells optical mice in the US.
"Agilent is recognized as one of the pioneers in optical mouse sensor technology," Agilent vice president Jeff Henderson said in a statement. "We have a significant and growing patent portfolio in relation to the manufacture and sale of patented optical mouse sensors for use in the United States. We will vigorously protect our investment in designing and developing this breakthrough technology from anyone who would infringe on our intellectual property rights."
The news comes after PixArt launched a pre-emptive legal strike against Agilent in the same North California District Court on Oct. 31 last year, seeking a determination that the disputed patent is invalid.
PixArt's managing director Sen Huang (
Huang went on to say in the same statement that PixArt uses its own designs and non-patented technology in its products.
"To clear doubts and uncertainty [among] our customers, we file[d] this declaratory action as to Patent No. 6,433,780 [the disputed sensor technology], and will append any other ones if the controversy reaches the statutory level. PixArt's customers may rest assured while using our solutions," the statement said.
With total net sales of US$6 billion last year, Agilent is seeking to protect a large market. The most recent figures for 1998 start-up PixArt show that the company made NT$360 million in sales in 2002, and booked a profit of NT$32 million.
ISSUES: Gogoro has been struggling with ballooning losses and was recently embroiled in alleged subsidy fraud, using Chinese-made components instead of locally made parts Gogoro Inc (睿能創意), the nation’s biggest electric scooter maker, yesterday said that its chairman and CEO Horace Luke (陸學森) has resigned amid chronic losses and probes into the company’s alleged involvement in subsidy fraud. The board of directors nominated Reuntex Group (潤泰集團) general counsel Tamon Tseng (曾夢達) as the company’s new chairman, Gogoro said in a statement. Ruentex is Gogoro’s biggest stakeholder. Gogoro Taiwan general manager Henry Chiang (姜家煒) is to serve as acting CEO during the interim period, the statement said. Luke’s departure came as a bombshell yesterday. As a company founder, he has played a key role in pushing for the
China has claimed a breakthrough in developing homegrown chipmaking equipment, an important step in overcoming US sanctions designed to thwart Beijing’s semiconductor goals. State-linked organizations are advised to use a new laser-based immersion lithography machine with a resolution of 65 nanometers or better, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said in an announcement this month. Although the note does not specify the supplier, the spec marks a significant step up from the previous most advanced indigenous equipment — developed by Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment Group Co (SMEE, 上海微電子) — which stood at about 90 nanometers. MIIT’s claimed advances last
CROSS-STRAIT TENSIONS: The US company could switch orders from TSMC to alternative suppliers, but that would lower chip quality, CEO Jensen Huang said Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳), whose products have become the hottest commodity in the technology world, on Wednesday said that the scramble for a limited amount of supply has frustrated some customers and raised tensions. “The demand on it is so great, and everyone wants to be first and everyone wants to be most,” he told the audience at a Goldman Sachs Group Inc technology conference in San Francisco. “We probably have more emotional customers today. Deservedly so. It’s tense. We’re trying to do the best we can.” Huang’s company is experiencing strong demand for its latest generation of chips, called
GLOBAL ECONOMY: Policymakers have a choice of a small 25 basis-point cut or a bold cut of 50 basis points, which would help the labor market, but might reignite inflation The US Federal Reserve is gearing up to announce its first interest rate cut in more than four years on Wednesday, with policymakers expected to debate how big a move to make less than two months before the US presidential election. Senior officials at the US central bank including Fed Chairman Jerome Powell have in recent weeks indicated that a rate cut is coming this month, as inflation eases toward the bank’s long-term target of two percent, and the labor market continues to cool. The Fed, which has a dual mandate from the US Congress to act independently to ensure