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According to a recent announcement from Longhorn IP, SK hynix has reached a patent licensing agreement with its subsidiaries, Trenchant Blade Technologies LLC (TBT) and Hamilcar Barca IP LLC (HBIP), effectively resolving a patent dispute under confidentiality terms.

In May 2020, Longhorn IP accused SK hynix of infringing on two patents held by its subsidiary TBT. The following year, Longhorn IP made additional claims, alleging that SK hynix had violated five patents held by HBIP.

In response, SK hynix filed a lawsuit in July 2022 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, seeking a ruling that it had not infringed on the seven patents cited by Longhorn IP.

TBT, through Longhorn IP, had secured a range of patents related to advanced semiconductor memory and chip manufacturing technologies via collaborations with leading foundries.

Although SK hynix attempted to resolve the dispute through negotiations with Longhorn IP, the differences could not be narrowed, prompting the company to initiate legal proceedings.

Additionally, SK hynix has requested the court to impose a permanent injunction preventing these entities from making false patent infringement claims against third parties. Previously, Longhorn IP and TBT had also been involved in similar legal disputes with Samsung Electronics, utilizing patents acquired or purchased from TSMC.