Intel and AMD: At Last They Agree on Something

Despite the tooth-and-nail pricing competition that AMD and Intel are currently involved in, the companies announced the renewal of a long-standing patent cross-license agreement today. The two silicon giants are keeping the specific terms of the 10-year agreement under wraps. Historically, they have signed four patent cross-license agreements since 1976. The new agreement is retroactive to Jan. 1, when the previous agreement expired. According to Cnet Investor, the deal reiterates the previous agreement that Intel will receive royalties from AMD pertaining to patents Intel owns covering aspects of the x86 instruction set used in processors for Windows-based PCs. Some changes have been made to the agreement regarding the royalty structure and to AMD's foundry rights. Check out this Cnet Investor article for more information.