YMTC, a Chinese Chipmaker, Files Lawsuit Against Micron for Patent Infringement

On Nov. 12, Chinese chipmaker Yangtze Memory Technologies Co (YMTC) made a lawsuit claim against U.S. rival Micron Technology (MU.O) for allegedly infringing on eight of its patents.

According to the lawsuit, YMTC claims that Micron utilized YMTC’s patented technology to gain an upper hand in the market, while refusing to pay due compensation for the use of these inventions.

In a statement to Reuters, YMTC confirmed that the company recently filed a lawsuit against Micron Technology, Inc for the infringement of their patents related to 3D NAND technology. They expressed confidence in the swift resolution of the matter.

Micron, a manufacturer of DRAM and NAND flash memory chips, competes with major players such as Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Kioxia. While YMTC is a smaller rival, it faced trade restrictions in the U.S. last year, preventing the purchase of certain American components.

Recent years have seen increasing restrictions on the export of chipmaking technology to China due to security concerns. In response, China has placed restrictions on the purchase of Micron products and has reduced Micron’s share of revenue generated in the Chinese market.

Despite these challenges, Micron has publicly stated its ongoing commitment to China, with plans to invest billions in its chip-packaging plant in Xian city and participation in trade expos in Shanghai.

($1 = 7.2934 Chinese yuan renminbi)
Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama, Yelin Mo and Brenda Goh; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Lincoln Feast.

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