GlobalFoundries' Goal: Harass TSMC Customers

By Barbara Jorgensen, EETimes
August 29, 2019

Distributors have no direct influence on technologies associated with their suppliers' components. But GlobalFoundries' goal could be to irritate TSMC customers into putting pressure on TSMC to settle quickly with GlobalFoundries.

Who knew distributors would also get dragged into the IP battle between two major foundries?

Three electronics distributors have been ensnared in GlobalFoundries’ patent suit against TSMC and its customers, escalating stress on an already-jittery global electronics supply chain.

GlobalFoundries filed 25 lawsuits in the U.S. and Germany against 20 major companies alleging patent infringement of 16 of its semiconductor device and manufacturing technologies used by TSMC. Distributors Avnet Inc./EBV, Digi-Key and Mouser Electronics have been named among the defendants.

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