Chipmaker Globalfoundries sues rival TSMC over patents

US company alleges 'significant damages' from Taiwan's contract chipmaking king

20190827 Global foundries and TSMC

Globalfoundries is seeking a ban on imports of TSMC products into the US due to alleged patent infringement. © AP

CHENG TING-FANG, Nikkei staff writer

TAIPEI -- Struggling U.S. chipmaker Globalfoundries has filed lawsuits against bigger rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. in what analysts describe as an attempt to gain political support amid the escalating trade war with China.

Globalfoundries has filed suits in the U.S. and Germany alleging 16 cases of patent infringement and seeking to block imports of TSMC products into those countries. The company said in a statement that it has suffered "significant damages from TSMC based on TSMC's unlawful use of GF's proprietary technology in its tens of billions of dollars of sales."

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored ContentThis content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.