What did Samsung Electronics agree to in its deal with Netlist?

Samsung agreed to a five-year license for Netlist’s memory chip patents. The deal also gives Samsung access to technologies used in server DIMMs and HBM for AI servers and high-performance computing.

Why did Samsung Electronics and Netlist settle their patent dispute?

The settlement ends years of patent litigation between the two companies. Netlist said the agreement reflects a shared commitment to innovation in the AI-memory space and includes a separate memory product supply agreement.

Samsung Electronics settles patent dispute with Netlist through 5-year licensing deal

Q: What happened in the Samsung and Netlist patent fight before the settlement?

Netlist sued Samsung in 2021, saying Samsung’s memory products used in cloud computing servers and other data technologies infringed its patents. Samsung denied the claims, and the case produced Texas jury awards of $303 million in 2023 and $118 million in 2024.

Listen

Summary

Samsung Electronics has settled a patent dispute with U.S. chip firm Netlist by signing a five-year licensing deal, Netlist said Thursday. The agreement gives Samsung access to Netlist’s memory chip patents, including technologies used in server DIMMs and HBM for AI servers and high-performance computing. The two companies also agreed to end all pending legal actions.

Key Facts

Samsung will also purchase 10 million Netlist shares under a separate memory product supply agreement.
Netlist said the agreement covers its patent portfolio for server dual in-line memory modules and high-bandwidth memory technologies.
The companies agreed to settle and mutually end all pending legal actions related to the patent dispute.
Netlist sued Samsung in 2021 over alleged infringement involving memory products used in cloud computing servers and other data technologies.
A Texas jury awarded Netlist $303 million in 2023 and $118 million in 2024 before the dispute was settled.

By Yonhap

Published Aug 6, 2026 2:36 pm KST
Updated Aug 6, 2026 6:01 pm KST

A person walks into Samsung Electronics' office in Seoul's Seocho District, July 30. Yonhap

Samsung Electronics has settled a patent dispute with U.S. chip firm Netlist Inc. by signing a five-year agreement to license Netlist's memory chip patents, Netlist said Thursday.

Under the agreement, Samsung Electronics will gain access to Netlist's patent portfolio, including technologies related to server dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs) and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in artificial intelligence (AI) servers and high-performance computing systems.

Netlist, a Delaware-based company, develops advanced memory and storage technologies, including server memory and HBM solutions for AI computing.

"We're excited to renew this partnership and look forward to working closely with Samsung," Netlist CEO C.K. Hong said. "These strategic agreements reflect the companies' shared commitment to innovation in the AI-memory space and validate the value of Netlist's intellectual property."

As part of the strategic alliance, Samsung will also purchase 10 million Netlist shares under a separate memory product supply agreement.

The two companies agreed to settle and mutually end all pending legal actions related to the patent dispute.

The agreement follows years of patent litigation between the two companies.

In 2021, Netlist sued Samsung, alleging that the Korean tech giant's memory products used in cloud computing servers, along with other data technologies, infringed its patents.

Samsung argued that Netlist's patents were invalid and that its technologies operated differently from those covered by the patents.

However, a Texas jury awarded Netlist damages of $303 million in 2023 and $118 million in 2024.

The legal battle continued as both companies filed additional appeals after several of the patents that Netlist claimed were infringed were later ruled invalid.

Explore More