[Info-vax] Poulson at hot-chips 2011

[Neil Rieck]

On Aug 25, 5:12 pm, glen herrmannsfeldt <g... at ugcs.caltech.edu> wrote:
> Michael Kraemer <M.Krae... at gsi.de> wrote:
> > JF Mezei schrieb:
> >> The deal between DEC and Intel gave Intel immunity from having stolen
> >> Alpha designs for its Pentium 3,
> > There's no evidence whatsoever that intel had stolen anything.
>
> In the case of patents, you can infringe without knowing about
> the patented design.   So, while "stolen" may sometimes be used,
> it is not a requirement.
>
> Many patents are bought to avoid the possibility of an infringement
> suit, even when it isn't known that the technology is actually
> infringing.  
>
> -- glen

While my memory of that long-ago-event is now somewhat murky, I would
bet a week's pay about the facts around my previous statement: Intel
and DEC sat down for a pow-wow; Intel signed an NDA before DEC
engineers described specific details about the Alpha architecture (I
forget which); some time later, DEC accused Intel of using that
"explained technology" in Intel's Pentium chips and so took intel to
court. The whole "lets be friends" and "I'll take the Hudson plant off
your hands" was something hammered out in a face-saving truce. But its
all moot now, DEC is Dead (long live DEC) and Intel is still very much
alive and financially healthy.

NSR