Intel Pulls Out $1.25B to Settle All AMD Problems

In what could be one of the closing chapters in a long-lasting saga, Intel Corporation and Advanced Micro Devices today announced a comprehensive agreement to end all outstanding legal disputes between the companies, including antitrust litigation and patent cross license disputes.

In a joint statement, the two companies commented, "While the relationship between the two companies has been difficult in the past, this agreement ends the legal disputes and enables the companies to focus all of our efforts on product innovation and development."

Under terms of the agreement:

-          AMD and Intel obtain patent rights from a new 5-year cross license agreement

-          Intel and AMD will give up any claims of breach from the previous license agreement

-          Intel will pay AMD $1.25 billion.

-          Intel agrees to abide by a set of business practice provisions.

As a result, AMD will drop all pending litigation including the case in U.S. District Court in Delaware and two cases pending in Japan. AMD will also withdraw all of its regulatory complaints worldwide. The agreement will be made public in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
  • Jazzmain
    Hell has frozen over.
    Reply
  • nforce4max
    jazzmainHell has frozen over.
    Let it snow let it snow.
    Reply
  • datawrecker
    *Throws a snowball @jazzmain*
    Reply
  • bige420
    So by "5-year cross license agreement" does that mean AMD has access to all Intel's patents and whatnot?
    Reply
  • tri5cui7
    This is interesting! I wonder if they'll use any of that money for a tour of Bill Gates house...
    Reply
  • skora
    Maybe this is from the Yes Men.

    How much of the 1.25b is left after AMD has to pay their lawyers?
    Reply
  • ssalim
    Money. The problem -and- the solution to all life's problems.
    -Homer (except he said Beer)
    Reply
  • "AMD will also withdraw all of its regulatory complaints worldwide."

    So does this mean that Intel is off the hook for all the anti-competitive crap they've been getting in trouble with over the last year or so... If so, $1.25 billion sounds on the light side... didn't they give Dell $6 billion over a period of 5 years?
    Reply
  • jerther
    Poor lawers behind all that... They can kiss their christmast bonus goodbye

    :P
    Reply
  • bunz_of_steel
    Should have been more than 1.25 billion because Intel kept AMD from making potential financial gains. And AMD would be in much better position to compete in the market during this recession .... that were still in.
    Reply