ANDOVER, Mass., May 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vicor Corporation (NASDAQ:
VICR) today announced that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board ("PTAB") of the
United States Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") has denied institution
of Inter Partes Review ("IPR") of all patents asserted by Vicor against Delta
Electronics ("Delta") and downstream customers at the International Trade
Commission ("ITC").
On July 13, 2023, Vicor filed a complaint at the ITC against Delta alleging
infringement of three Vicor patents: U.S. Patent Nos. 9,166,481 (the "'481
patent"); 9,516,761 (the "'761 patent") and 10,199,950 (the "'950 patent") ("the
asserted patents"). On August 17, 2023, the ITC instituted an investigation of
"power converter modules used in data center server, artificial intelligence and
cloud computing systems, to power artificial intelligence ("AI") accelerators,
tensor processing units ("TPU"), graphical processing units ("GPU") and central
processing units ("CPU"), and computing systems containing the same." In its ITC
case, Vicor seeks a limited exclusion order and cease-and-desist orders to
protect Vicor's domestic industry by barring from entry into the United States
power converter modules and computing systems infringing any of the asserted
patents. The ITC held an evidentiary hearing from April 29 to May 3, 2024, and
its determination of Vicor's claim is forthcoming.
On November 2, 2023, Delta filed an IPR of the '950 patent, challenging its
validity. On May 17, 2024, the PTAB, having determined that Delta had not
established a reasonable likelihood of prevailing in its invalidity challenge,
issued its decision 10,199,950
(https://www.vicorpower.com/documents/investor_relations/2024-
05-17_950_patent_IPR_Institution_Decision.pdf) denying institution.
On November 13, 2023, Delta filed an IPR of the '481 patent, challenging its
validity. On May 17, 2024, the PTAB, having determined that Delta had not
established a reasonable likelihood of prevailing in its invalidity challenge,
issued its decision 9,166,481
(https://www.vicorpower.com/documents/investor_relations/2024-
05-17_481_patent_IPR_Institution_Decision.pdf) denying institution.
On November 22, 2023, Delta filed an IPR of the '761 patent, challenging its
validity. On May 24, 2024, the PTAB, having determined that Delta had not
established a reasonable likelihood of prevailing in its invalidity challenge,
issued its decision 9,516,761
(https://www.vicorpower.com/documents/investor_relations/2024-
05-24_761_Institution_Decision.pdf) denying institution.
The '481 patent covers digital control of zero-current and zero-voltage
switching resonant power converters. The '950 patent covers non-isolated, fixed-
ratio, soft-switching bus converters and power distribution systems containing
the same. The '761 patent covers power converters with a symmetric heat
generation between two sets of power semiconductor devices. Copycat Non-isolated
Bus Converter Modules ("NBMs"), manufactured by infringing competitors, practice
the asserted patents.
Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Patrizio Vinciarelli, stated: "PTAB decisions,
denying all of Delta's IPRs, debunk expert opinions proffered in Delta's ill-
conceived, failed attempts to invalidate Vicor patents. As the dominoes fall,
implausible defenses at the PTAB and the ITC have left respondents with the
imminent prospect of an exclusion order affecting Delta and its customers, a
necessary remedy against infringement of intellectual property invented by Vicor
and practiced by Vicor's pioneering NBM power converter modules."
Recent PTAB decisions come in the wake of an earlier judicial ruling against
three Foxconn subsidiaries who are also respondents in the ITC investigation. On
January 19, 2024, the United States District Court for the District of
Massachusetts issued a temporary restraining order precluding those subsidiaries
from pursuing arbitration against Vicor in China. The Foxconn subsidiaries
unsuccessfully sought to obtain a ruling from a Chinese arbitration panel that
boilerplate fine print in certain of their purchase orders for NBMs entitled
them to unlimited royalty-free licenses to Vicor patents.
"This attempt by Foxconn to seize the IP of a U.S. company is the kind of
abusive and unfair business practice that is catching the attention of U.S.
lawmakers concerned about misappropriation of U.S. intellectual property,"
commented Dr. Vinciarelli.
For more information on Vicor, please visit the Company's website
at vicorpower.com (https://www.vicorpower.com/press-room/vicor-patents-asserted-
against-infringing-nbms-withstand-validity-challenges).
About Vicor
Vicor Corporation designs, develops, manufactures and markets modular power
components and complete power systems based upon a portfolio of patented
technologies. Headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts, Vicor sells its products
to the power systems market, including enterprise and high-performance
computing, industrial equipment and automation, telecommunications and network
infrastructure, vehicles and transportation, aerospace and
defense. www.vicorpower.com (http://www.vicorpower.com)
Vicor is a registered trademark of Vicor Corporation.
Contact
James F. Schmidt
Chief Financial Officer
978-470-2900
invrel@vicorpower.com (mailto:invrel@vicorpower.com)
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a88b6499-3496-4d78-80ff-
a64ce97f4745
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