Intel wins UK leg of global patent battle with R2 over chips

LONDON (Reuters) - Intel on Wednesday won the London leg of a global patent dispute with U.S. rival R2 Semiconductor, which had been seeking an injunction potentially preventing the sale of some of Intel's chips.

R2 sued Intel at London's High Court in 2022, arguing Intel had infringed its patent by marketing chips and processors containing fully integrated voltage regulators.

Intel counterclaimed to invalidate R2's patent, which relates to on-chip power supplies for computer microprocessors, and the High Court ruled in its favour on Wednesday.

Judge Richard Hacon said in a written ruling following a trial in April that R2's patent is invalid due to the lack of an "inventive step" when building on previous inventions.

The judge added, however, that Intel would have infringed R2's patent had it been valid.

Intel and R2 did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

R2's lawyers argued in court filings that "the entirety of Intel's current product line of microchips, processors or other microelectronic devices that incorporate a fully integrated voltage regulator" had infringed its patent.

The company was seeking an injunction preventing further alleged infringement, which could have stopped Intel selling products, including its "Ice Lake" server chips.

Wednesday's ruling contrasts with a decision in R2's favour given by a German court in February.

The regional court in Dusseldorf ruled that Intel products infringed R2's patent, a finding which is under appeal, according to Intel's lawyers in the London litigation.

Intel and R2 are also engaged in similar litigation in France and Italy.

(Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Conor Humphries)