Avago sued STMicroelectronics over alleged infringement of four patents covering optical-navigation technology used in products such as optical mice. The companies’ pending litigation was dismissed without prejudice in 2011; the cited records do not report a final verdict or damages award.
What prompted Avago’s lawsuit?
Avago Technologies announced on March 29, 2010, that it had filed a patent-infringement complaint against STMicroelectronics on March 15 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Avago alleged that certain STMicroelectronics products infringed four of its patents related to optical-navigation technology. The complaint sought monetary compensation and an order barring further infringement. Avago’s March 2010 announcement
Optical-navigation sensors detect movement and are used in applications including optical mice. Avago General Counsel Patricia H. McCall said the company had invested in technology that enables the optical mouse. The case concerned the products and patents identified in the complaint, not all STMicroelectronics products.
Which patents and technology were involved?
Avago asserted four patents in its initial complaint. A related California court order identifies U.S. Patent No. 6,172,354 among the patents at issue. In the Texas case, the court later construed terms in five patents: the ’354, ’585, ’007, ’661, and ’720 patents. These records reflect patent claim-construction proceedings, not a finding that STMicroelectronics infringed.
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The April 11, 2011 California court order and the Texas court’s claim-construction order document those proceedings.
Why was there also an antitrust case?
STMicroelectronics filed a separate action in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging anticompetitive conduct in the optical-navigation sensor market. On April 11, 2011, that court stayed the case while the Texas patent action proceeded. A stay paused the California case; it did not decide the antitrust allegations.
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How did the Avago–STMicroelectronics litigation end?
According to a Broadcom SEC filing, Avago and STMicroelectronics agreed on October 24, 2011, to dismiss all pending litigation without prejudice. The agreement reserved the parties’ right to refile after executive discussions and non-binding mediation. Broadcom’s SEC filing
The California case was dismissed by stipulation and order entered October 27, 2011. Each side was responsible for its own costs and attorneys’ fees. The October 27 dismissal order
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Dismissal without prejudice is not a ruling on the merits. The cited records report no final infringement verdict, damages award, or settlement payment, so they do not establish that either side prevailed on the underlying claims.
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