Intel to AMD: Your x86 License Expires in 60 Days

[IzzyCraft]

Someone is dyslexic

 

[NuclearShadow]

Uh oh Intel is bullying the playground again.

 

[DeadlyPredator]

HOLY CRAP DAMNIT!! I just can't belive this!! Have you any idea about what could happen??? If this is true, well, we are all in very big shit, since intel will have a complete monopoly over the x86... because don't expect via to survive... and we will all have CPUs starting at 300$, like before, no progress, like with netburst. US government can't let this happen

 

[Greatwalrus]

[citation][nom]p4l1ndr0m3[/nom]Lol, someone got their panties in a bunch and voted down all of my posts...[/citation]

Yeah, and posts from everyone else. I went and marked back the ones I thought didn't deserve to be marked down.

 

[tayb]

Wow. I am anti-big government and regulating companies but Intel is seriously stepping over some boundaries. I honestly don't care anymore if Intel outright owns the x86 patent and AMD is 100% in the wrong. The market needs more than one player and the x86 patent is over 15 years old. Time to let it go and open the instruction set open to multiple companies.

I really hope AMD takes Intel to court and Intel gets slammed. I look forward to Via, IBM, AMD, and Nvidia all in the x86 or x64 market competing. Intel doesn't want to compete in that market but they are making sure that day comes by not playing nice with AMD.

If they would just play nice with AMD they won't have to lose in court.

 

[christop]

What the hell????????

 

[gto127]

This is ridiculus. Intel is just pressuring AMD in hopes that AMD will drop their anti-trust lawsuit against them as a settlement. I'm not sure many people remember this but Intel lost a 10 billion dollar lawsuit to Digital Equipment Coropration back in the 90's for illegally copying parts of the Alpha processor. Imagine how much AMD would win today if successful with their lawsuit.

 

[Mathos]

Regarding x86 Patents, the actual x86 microcode in its base form is currently public knowledge, has been for a couple years if I'm correct, due to the way the patent system works, since it's been far more than 15 years since x86 was patented. The things that Intel has that AMD licenses are MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, extensions to the x86 32bit microcode, possibly SSE4.1. AMD Owns 3d-Now and its variants, SSE4a, SSE5, x86-64, Hypertransport like system interconnects, certain parts of the onchip IMC architecture.

Thats the thing, it was all come down to whether or not Global Foundry is allowed to produce it's own chips under how AMD has it set up, which I doubt is possible. Same as TSMC wouldn't be allowed to produce it's own chips on its own brand under that license.

 

[WINTERLORD]

the patents i don't believe will expire in some of these cases. because intel is and devolops part of our national security. after all, they make the tech for alot of the military so they can do a bit more then youd think

 

[grcunning]

Hey AMD, we're in ur fab, pwning ur wafers...Intel

 

[captaincharisma]

captaincharisma are you sure you went to college? (collage) lolololol

so typical, going after grammar and punctuation mistakes. yea i went to collage instead of spending my time like you dolts playing WoW and Halo all day in you parents basement

 

[IronRyan21]

Isn't Intel already in a bunch of trouble for anti trust issues? I guess if AMD is gone we could add "monopoly" to the list.

 

[Neog2]

[citation][nom]curnel_d[/nom]If intels strategy works, they can invalidate their x86 license, but AMD has no grounds to invalidate the x86-x64 license, which would mean intel would essentially come out with everything while stomping AMD into nothing.The only possible outcome I can see of that is the anti-trust group would do the same exact thing they did to intel back in the day that got AMD started in the first place, meaning intel would essentially be the biggest looser, continuing to suffer through the AMD license, and being forced to give AMD more x86 time. Not only that, it's the worst PR I could imagine. I love intel products, but they're shooting themselves in the foot.[/citation]

You are correct in my opinion. Everyone keeps mentioning AMD owns x64 but that
is irrelevant and i assume most of the people don't know what a contract is and
what a breach of contract means.
In this mutual contract both companies decided on several things, and agreed
upon. They aslo agreed on things that would breach the contract.
Both sides essentially agree to hold up there side of the bargain.

Intel did not breach the contract so amd still has to hold up its end of the
bargain. They cant revoke intel because the contract is a legal binding
agreement.
----------------------------------
It would be like a foot race between two people for shoes.
Rules being who ever won got the other persons shoes.
Rules being both people must not start before signal is given to go.
If person starts before signal is given then that person forfeits
and automatically loses. (Hence giving the winner his shoes.)

It would be like me and you racing but you started early and your
disqualified so I win but you deciding to not hold up the agreement
because we didnt actually finish the race. All though you already
agreed to the terms.

 

[Guest]

I was just planning to update my PC with a faster Intel CPU. It appears that I now will have to change the motherboard to something that will accommodate an AMD CPU. No more Intel for me for some time!

 

[aracheb]

[citation][nom]captaincharisma[/nom]LOL yea i go to wikipedia just like you toi get all that crap knowlege you just have stored up in that small head of yours LOL. cyrix were bad CPU's i know i used them in collage but if AMD were not around they would be the only competition on the market which means all the amd fanboys would have been cyrix fanboys because of there hate for intel.[/citation]


You stupid piece of ass, cyrix were not bad cpu they just didn't have the enough money for R&D, if you really did you homework, (Hense many people here does not go to wikipedia, because wikipedia info is not accurate 80% of the time) you'll know that cyrix were extremely good in office applications, they just didn't have enough FPU on that time for games..

 

[aracheb]

[citation][nom]p4l1ndr0m3[/nom]... AMD owns the 64bit portion, the part that matters. The x86 is reverse compatibility.[/citation]


you too, they own the capability of uses an 64bit cpu, and the capability of using a 64bit cpu for x86 applications.. is 3 different stuff.
64bit, 64-x86 and x86.

 

[aracheb]

[citation][nom]GTO127[/nom]This is ridiculus. Intel is just pressuring AMD in hopes that AMD will drop their anti-trust lawsuit against them as a settlement. I'm not sure many people remember this but Intel lost a 10 billion dollar lawsuit to Digital Equipment Coropration back in the 90's for illegally copying parts of the Alpha processor. Imagine how much AMD would win today if successful with their lawsuit.[/citation]


I remember, and the funny of the case, is that they gave the technology to AMD for petty cash just because of this, (k7 Athlon) the slot A processor, was based on the alpha architecture..

 

[DjEaZy]

... What Tha Fruit!!!??!!! ... what is intel afraid of? Competition?

 

[Glorian]

Why are people saying if intel pulls the x86 out that amd will do the same, the contract is almost over and when it ends intel has the option to not resign that contract, the contract amd has with intel over the x86-64 isn't over yet so amd pulling that away from intel now would be a breach of contract and viable for lawsuit, would only be a legit move if that contract was up but i am sure there is a ton of time left on it.

i don't approve of intel's actions, they are probably doing this to keep amd in check, it wouldn't be a competition if there wasn't some fighting going on.

 

[DjEaZy]

... hmmm... what IBM think about it?

 

[cdnsteve]

Single core CPU's are a thing of the past and probably in the lowest demand anyway. AMD should cut their losses and focus on new technology and not waste resources on something that doesn't have a future, especially so since that would mean funding the competition by extending a dinosaur license.

Supply and demand. Intel's just trying to do what it can to hurt AMD, hey it's not polite but that's business.

 

[sonofliberty08]

because intel see the potential of Phenom 2 and the ATi product , intel afraid of the nightmare like the K8 core kick on it butts hard will be return again .

 

[Guest]

I have a Law Degree and am currently working on a patent of my own.

This is what I don't understand...Licensing is based on patents. Patents ONLY extend up to 20 years. After that, patents become prior art, and patent protection, including licensing, is gone.

From what I understand the x86 patent was in place at least between 1980-1988 based on prior posts. Now, given that it is 2009, a licensing agreement can only be effective back to 1989. Anything with patent protection taking effect before 1989 is prior art and fair game.

So please, could someone in the know clear that up for me?

 

[SAL-e]

[citation][nom]MasterBlaster7[/nom]I have a Law Degree and am currently working on a patent of my own.This is what I don't understand...Licensing is based on patents. Patents ONLY extend up to 20 years. After that, patents become prior art, and patent protection, including licensing, is gone.From what I understand the x86 patent was in place at least between 1980-1988 based on prior posts. Now, given that it is 2009, a licensing agreement can only be effective back to 1989. Anything with patent protection taking effect before 1989 is prior art and fair game.So please, could someone in the know clear that up for me?[/citation]
Hi MasterBlaster7,
I have no details, but it is done like in pharmaceutical industry. When the first patent expires you make small change and add new instructions called extensions and patent them. And if new manufacture want their CPU to be compatible has to get new license for the all extensions. That is way I believe that patents and copyright laws in current form are decremental for the progress. But this view is very unpopular especial in law circles. If you are interested in alternative view search for Stephan Kinsella on Google.
Best regards.

 

[ossie]

NEC produced unlicensed 80(1)86/8 with different microcode (also Z80 compatible), that were faster than intels. Intel sued and lost.
IBM, Cyrix, C&T, TI had 3/486 with different microcode. Some had compatibility problems in executing x86 code.
AMD first used 3/486 intel microcode, but, due to legal problems with intel, used later their own microcode.
UMC produced a 486 unlicensed clone... just it couldn't sell them in patentland.
Pentium compatibles were AMD K5/6(-2,III), Cyrix 6x86(L,MX,MII), IDT(Centaur) C6(+) for Socket5/7.
NexGen 686 had a similar design (later included in AMD K6), but for proprietary socket.
After that, intel and AMD have gone their own ways: Socket8, Slot1/2, Socket370, 423, 478, 479, 603, 771, 775, 1366 ... respectively SlotA, SocketA, 754, 939, 940, 1207... and their own bus signaling.
VIA aquired Cyrix and Centaur, and produced Socket370 compatible CPUs until 2006, when the license expired, and Socket479 ones, but with different signaling, for legal issues.