back to article Thanks for the happy memories, Micron – now beat it, says China: Court bans chip sales

The ongoing war between US-based memory maker Micron and Asian DRAM manufacturers went nuclear today. The Fuzhou Intermediate People's Court, based in southeast China, has, we're told, blocked the sale of a huge volume of Micron kit in the Middle Kingdom amid an ongoing patent row. That ruling, we understand, would stop …

  1. Sureo

    "UMC, Taiwan’s oldest semiconductor assembly line, has been expanding operations in China"

    I'm surprised China doesn't kick them out too. China has been putting the heavy squeeze on Taiwan lately.

    1. Steve Knox

      Yes, but Taiwan doesn't have a big orange potato talking smack about Chinese steel and doing everything in its power to start a global trade war.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      China has been putting the heavy squeeze on Taiwan lately.

      The mainland regards Taiwan as part of China. A Taiwanese company going to court in China is exactly what the authorities there like to see. Why would they want to damage the Taiwanese (and by extension their own) economy? It isn't (at the moment) the Chinese who resort to bomb diplomacy.

    3. Nick Kew

      China has been putting the heavy squeeze on Taiwan lately.

      Are you sure? Chinese and Taiwanese leaders may bandy tough words: that's traditional. But if they're extending that into self-harming, would that not be an aberration?

    4. Curly4
      Happy

      China will not kick out Taiwan because it is part of China and soon, very soon it will be welcomed back home to the motherland.

  2. I3N
    Pint

    oxymoron

    People's Court

    1. Throatwarbler Mangrove Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: oxymoron

      Definitely. Definitely time to watch Wapner.

    2. Phil Endecott

      Re: People’s Court

      Not sure about oxymoron, but it certainly has an issue with it’s apostrophe’s.

      1. It wasnt me

        Re: People’s Court

        Not sure if you're being ironic but so does your statement. Possessive 'its' does not have an apostrophe. It's is always an abbreviation of 'it is'.

      2. Steve Knox
        Headmaster

        Re: People’s Court

        Actually, the apostrophe in "People's Court" is correct -- just as the full name of China is indeed the "People's Republic of China" -- "people" in this case is a singular noun referring to all of the individuals in China as a unit (similar to "group" or "team"), so it takes the singular possessive form.

        "Peoples" is not possessive, and "Peoples' Court" necessarily means a court for multiple nationalities, tribes or other groups of people, because people as a plural of person never has a trailing s, so "peoples'" must be the possessive plural of "people".

        See http://www.dictionary.com/browse/peoples -- especially the section on usage, which touches on the possessive.

  3. Andy The Hat Silver badge

    So, if I'm right, UMC has accused Micron of using using UMC IP that (possibly) UMC aquired illegally via FJIC from Micron. This could be complex ...

  4. Nick Kew

    Milestone?

    Is this an entirely fair and just verdict?

    Or is it the day China catches up with where the US has been for about a quarter century, in terms of using patent laws in its courts as a weapon of economic imperialism?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Milestone? - ZTE

      I think it's the Chinese version of the Microsoft plan:

      Copy...thank you for paying us to do it.

      Catchup...and thanks for educating all those scientists and engineers in the US

      Overtake...we understand exactly how your system works, and as there are more of us we can do it so much better.

      (I am not anti-Chinese or anti-US. I'm like a member of one of those backward tribes in the position of watching the Roman and the Persian empires battle one another and just hoping we escape the worst of the fallout.)

  5. Bavaria Blu

    There is (no) alternative?

    Is there an alternative supplier? Effectively averything made in China with the affected Micro parts is effectively on hold? Although that would mean shooting Chinese manufacturers in the foot unless there is a readily available alternate supplier. Bound to increase prices?

  6. SoaG

    The world is upside down.

    China upholding patent protection.

    China? Really?

    LOL

    1. John 98

      Re: The world is upside down.

      Of course. The Middle Kingdom is just saying two can play silly Bulgarians. The aim is to kick the orange peril in the electoral unmentionables to show him trade wars are a stupid idea.

  7. Missing Semicolon Silver badge

    International rules

    .. are as enforcable only as long as each country abide by some international arbitration, even when the result disadvantages that country.

    China hasn't been playing that mug's game for years. So, expect the court to rule that UMC's Chinese patents are valid, have nothing whatsoever to do with silly bits of paper from the USPO, and Micron can just go home. After all, who you gonna call?

  8. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

    Panic?

    "stock markets panicked, and Micron’s share price dropped more than six per cent."

    A stock market "panic caused Microns shares to drop a whole 6%? Sounds more like a whoops moment than a panic.

    1. Danny 14

      Re: Panic?

      there are trading limits. 6pct is a monumental amount to lose in one sitting. there are normally bounce backs when speculators buy up the panic sales, this didnt really happen.

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon

Other stories you might like