Samsung settles with Rambus for $900 million

From CNET News.com: Samsung Electronics and Rambus said Tuesday that they have reached an agreement settling all claims between them and the licensing of Rambus' patent portfolio for all Samsung semiconductor products.

Under the agreement, Samsung will initially pay Rambus $200 million. In addition, the South Korean electronics company will make quarterly payments of about $25 million over five years and agree to purchase $200 million worth of Rambus stock. In total, about $900 million.

The agreement includes a perpetual fully paid-up license to certain current dynamic random access memory (DRAM) products. DRAM chips are used as the main memory for PCs.

In addition, Samsung and Rambus have signed a memorandum of understanding covering a new generation of memory technologies which combines Samsung's and Rambus' memory technologies. Rambus' expertise lies in high-performance memory interfaces.

The two companies will initially focus on graphics and mobile memory solutions and will further review a potential collaboration on server and high-speed NAND flash memories, the companies said.

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