Fish & Richardson Wins $34 Million for Power Integrations in
Patent Infringement Case Against Fairchild
SAN JOSE, Calif., October 13, 2006 – Fish & Richardson P.C. has won a major verdict for Power Integrations (OTC: POWI), the leader in high-voltage integrated circuits for power conversion, in its patent-infringement lawsuit against Fairchild Semiconductor. On October 10, 2006, a jury found that Fairchild had willfully infringed all four Power Integrations patents asserted in the case, and awarded Power Integrations damages
of nearly $34 million.
A second trial, scheduled to begin on December 4, 2006, will address Fairchild’s challenges to the validity of the infringed Power Integrations patents. The patents are presumed to be valid, and Fairchild cannot prevail unless it proves the patents are invalid by clear and convincing evidence. Should Fairchild be unable to prove the patents invalid, Power Integrations 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.
All 33 Fairchild parts asserted to have infringed were found to infringe and may be subject to an injunction. These parts are currently found in such end products as cellphone chargers, DVD players, TV set-top boxes, LCD monitors, and others.
Power Integrations’ trial team was lead by Frank Scherkenbach and Howard Pollack, principals of Fish & Richardson. Fairchild Semiconductor was represented by Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP. This is the latest in a series of trials that Fish & Richardson has won for Power Integrations since taking on its first case for the company, Power Integrations, Inc. v. Motorola, Inc., in 1997.
“Power Integrations respects the intellectual property of others and the company expects its competitors to do the same,” said Fish & Richardson’s Frank Scherkenbach. “This is our third trial win in our effort to protect Power Integrations’ intellectual property against unlawful infringement by competitors. We look forward to continue working with the company to protect their IP rights going forward.”
The Power Integrations, Inc. v. Motorola, Inc. case, which involved two other Power Integrations patents relating to various aspects of chips used in high-voltage AC-to-DC power conversion, was named one of the most significant intellectual property cases of the year in 1999 by the National Law Journal. The jury found willful infringement in the case and awarded $32.3 million in damages to Power Integrations, the largest patent jury verdict ever awarded in Delaware at the time.
In August 2006, Fish & Richardson won another important case for Power Integrations, Power Integrations, Inc. v. System General Corporation and System General USA. The firm asserted several other Power Integrations patents relating to circuits for PWM controllers before the International Trade Commission. Fish & Richardson again prevailed at trial where the patents were found to be valid and infringed. The ITC’s final order in this case became effective on October 11, 2006.
About Power Integrations
Power Integrations, Inc. is the leading supplier of high-voltage analog integrated circuits used in power conversion. The company’s breakthrough technology enables compact, energy-efficient power supplies in a wide range of electronic products, in both AC-DC and DC-DC applications. The company’s EcoSmart(r) energy-efficiency technology, which dramatically reduces energy waste, has saved consumers and businesses around the world more than an estimated $1.8 billion on their electricity bills since its introduction in 1998. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.powerint.com.
About Fish & Richardson
Fish & Richardson’s over 420 lawyers and technology specialists serve clients in three core practice areas – intellectual property, litigation, and corporate law – from 10 offices: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Dallas, Delaware, New York City, San Diego, Silicon Valley, Twin Cities, and Washington, D.C. Founded in 1878, the firm represented Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, and the Wright Brothers. Fish & Richardson defends more patent litigation than any other law firm in the United States and is among the top firms for patent cases at the International Trade Commission. The firm is also among the top firms in the United States in patents and trademarks obtained. For more information, please visit www.fr.com.
