ams wins US trade secret and patent infringement ruling

Austria-based analogue semiconductor manufacturer, ams has announced that a US District Judge has awarded its US subsidiary, ams-TAOS damages of $77m from Intersil, including $10m in exemplary damages.

The decision comes after jurors in the federal Eastern District of Texas found in favour of ams-TAOS on all claims against Intersil for misappropriation of ams-TAOS’ trade secrets and breach of a non-disclosure agreement between the parties.

The also found that that there was “interference with ams-TAOS’ prospective business relations” and infringement of U.S. Patent No. 6,596,981.

The company’s General Counsel Jann H. Siefken stated:

“We are pleased with the court’s decision to enforce our company’s intellectual property rights against a competitor who would seek to misappropriate them for an unfair competitive advantage.”

The final judgement can be appealed and so ams said it was not able to estimate a time frame for conclusion of the case or recovery of damages awarded.

The case is Texas Advanced Optoelectronic Solutions Inc. v. Intersil Corp., No. 4:08-cv-451. The company ams AG is represented by the Dallas, Texas law firm Munck Wilson Mandala, LLP.

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