Elpida to "renegotiate" Rambus royalties

According to EBNews, the president of Elpida Memory Inc., NEC-Hitachi's joint DRAM venture, is complaining that the licensing fees it is paying to Rambus Inc. are putting his company at a competitive disadvantage with memory makers who have challenged Rambus' patent claims. As the prospect for an early conclusion to the patent infringement lawsuits fades, those companies that signed agreements with Rambus now find themselves paying more to manufacture memory than Hyundai Electronics, Infineon and Micron Technology. Estimates are that Rambus fees add 2 to 3 percent to costs, and the Elpida executive says it may be time to "renegotiate."

The source article is at ebnews.com.