Fairchild Patent Setback

Power Integrations (POWI Quote) won a patent suit against Fairchild (FCS Quote), which vowed to fight on.

Power Integrations said a jury found that Fairchild has willfully infringed all four Power Integrations patents asserted in the case, and awarded Power Integrations damages of $34 million.

Fairchild said it continues to believe it will prevail, despite the verdict in the first of three phases of trial in the case. The company also said it will continue offering its full line of pulse-width modulation products.

A second trial, scheduled to begin on Dec. 4, will address Fairchild's challenges to the validity of the infringed Power Integrations patents, Power Integrations said. Should Fairchild be unable to prove the patents invalid, Power Integrations said it intends to seek an injunction against the continued manufacture, importation and sale of the infringing parts, as well as enhancement of the damages award based on the jury's finding of willful infringement. ...