Harvard University has agreed to dismiss its patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung, the South Korean tech giant, and waived its right to refile the suit, the university announced on Monday.
The lawsuit, filed in a Texas federal court in August, accused Samsung of violating patents related to microprocessor technology developed by Harvard chemistry professor Roy G. Gordon ’61 and his lab members. Harvard had previously given Samsung an extension to respond to the lawsuit until January 31. However, both parties reached a resolution just four days before the deadline.
Initially, the university sought "royalty and/or lost profit damages" as well as "further relief." The details of the settlement, including any potential financial compensation Harvard may have received, were not disclosed in the legal notice.
Harvard has a history of similar patent infringement cases, having previously sued companies like Micron and GlobalFoundries for using Gordon’s research. Those cases were settled in 2017 and 2018 for undisclosed amounts.
University spokesperson Jason A. Newton commented, "Harvard University is pleased to have reached an amicable resolution of the patent lawsuit filed by Harvard against Samsung," but declined to provide further details on the terms of the settlement.
Samsung has faced patent lawsuits from several universities, including the California Institute of Technology and the University of Connecticut. Both institutions filed complaints in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, where Harvard’s lawsuit was also filed. This court is known for its favourable track record for plaintiffs in patent disputes.
The California Institute of Technology case was settled in 2023, though settlement terms remain undisclosed. The University of Connecticut’s case is still ongoing. With Harvard’s settlement, its case will not proceed to a jury trial, as initially requested by the university.
