Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) has won the first round in a case against Micron over 3D NAND flash memory technology in Germany. The Regional Court Munich ordered two injunctions against the US chip manufacturer.
The dispute concerns 3D NAND flash memory technology used in flash memory devices for computers. YMTC accuses Micron of infringing technical protection rights with their products.
The claims form part of a multi-jurisdictional dispute between the parties, which involves proceedings in the US, the UK, and China, in addition to Germany and the Unified Patent Court (UPC). These actions concern 3D NAND flash memory for flash memory devices, used worldwide in hard drives and other storage media.
YMTC filed actions against Micron at the Regional Court Munich in October last year, concerning EP 3 931 868 and four utility models. After nearly two full days of oral hearings, the 7th Civil Chamber found two of the utility models valid and infringed, granting YMTC injunctions.
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Micron appealed the decisions. The court has scheduled further hearings for June and September of next year for the other two utility models. Regarding EP 868, the European Patent Office (EPO) had handed down a preliminary opinion in parallel opposition proceedings, and the 7th Civil Chamber adjourned the case to a later oral hearing in September 2027.
YMTC also filed parallel infringement claims at the UPC’s local division Düsseldorf over three European patents. The court has scheduled oral hearings in these cases for February next year. Actions over the same patents are also pending at the UK High Court.
Micron has now launched its own actions against YMTC, filing an infringement claim at the Regional Court Munich over EP 3 706 127. The US company has also launched parallel proceedings at the UPC over two European patents, with the defendants being the computer hardware manufacturer Ultron and the providers of digital storage solutions Lexar and Apacer Technology.
In the dispute over the utility models, YMTC retained an international team from mixed IP boutique Hoyng ROKH Monegier, while Micron instructed Bardehle Pagenberg. Bird & Bird represented YMTC in the Munich proceedings regarding EP 868 and in all the UPC actions.
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As the dispute continues, YMTC and Micron will likely engage in further litigation, with the outcome of the cases potentially impacting the global market for 3D NAND flash memory technology. The complexity of the case and the multiple jurisdictions involved may lead to a prolonged and costly legal battle.
According to the UPC register, the defendants in the active UPC actions filed by Micron have retained lawyers from Vossius & Partner and Stein & Partner. In the dispute at the UK High Court, Jones Day is acting for Micron.
The case highlights the intense competition in the 3D NAND flash memory technology market. YMTC and Micron are major players in this market, and the outcome of the dispute may have significant consequences for their businesses and the industry as a whole.
