Intel Faces Sales Ban on Select CPUs in Germany Following Patent Dispute

A German court ruled in favor of R2 Semiconductor, issuing an injunction against the sale of certain Intel processors over a patent infringement.

A regional court in Düsseldorf, Germany, has issued an injunction against the sale of select Intel processors, including Ice Lake, Tiger Lake, Alder Lake, and Xeon Scalable Ice Lake Server CPUs, due to a patent dispute with R2 Semiconductor.
Intel plans to appeal the decision, arguing that R2 Semiconductor's patent, which covers integrated voltage regulator technology, is of low quality and has been invalidated in the U.S.
R2 Semiconductor, a U.S.-based company, asserts that Intel has infringed on its patents for integrated voltage regulators, a claim supported by the German court's ruling.
Intel accuses R2 Semiconductor of being a 'patent troll,' a claim R2 disputes by highlighting its 15-year history as a semiconductor IP developer.
The ban does not affect Intel's newer 13th Gen Core 'Raptor Lake' and 14th Gen Core 'Raptor Lake Refresh' processors, as well as the Core Ultra 'Meteor Lake' CPUs revealed at CES 2024.