Purdue wins patent infringement lawsuit involving semiconductors

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A jury agreed with Purdue University in a patent infringement lawsuit involving semiconductor technology Monday, finding that STMicroelectronics sold silicon carbide semiconductors invented by a Purdue professor and his graduate student.

The jury, Purdue announced Tuesday, awarded the university $32.5 million in past compensatory damages. The damages also included a running royalty on future sales.

“Winning this case is a great victory for Purdue,” said Brian Edelman, Purdue Research Foundation president, in a release. “As the university’s tech transfer and commercialization arm, we take managing and protecting Purdue intellectual property very seriously, and we hold ourselves and others accountable to the highest standards."

Edelman called the decision "great news for the inventors, Purdue University and Purdue Research Foundation.”

U.S. patent 7,498,633, the patent number, involves technology related to silicon carbide semiconductors and was invented by Dr. James Cooper and his graduate student and researcher Asmita Saha, according to Purdue.

Students especially deserve the recognition for their unique work, stated Purdue's president, Dr. Mung Chiang, who celebrated the jury's decision.

”Purdue University is a top 4 patent-generating university in America. As a public land-grant institution, we support inventors and entrepreneurs to translate research to societal impact,” Chiang said in the release. “Through programs such as Purdue Innovates, we mentor students and faculty, foster a culture of discovery, license their world-changing technologies to market and protect their intellectual property rights as needed."

The Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 — sharing the name of the late Sen. Birch Bayh of Indiana — allows universities, businesses and nonprofits that receive federal funding to pursue ownership of the idea or product created, Purdue highlighted in the announcement. “This case is representative of the diligent efforts PRF has made to protect Purdue innovations from unauthorized use,” Ken Waite, Purdue chief patent counsel and director of intellectual property, said in the release. “Because of the impact on the public and Purdue University, PRF understands the importance of investing in the process to protect Purdue intellectual property.”