Spansion files three new suits against Samsung

Spansion Inc. has filed three new patent infringement complaints against Samsung Corp. over its Flash memory products.

Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Spansion (NYSE:CODE) said the complaints were filed with both the International Trade Commission and in the U.S. District Courts in the Eastern District of Virginia and in the Northern District of California.

The company first initiated action against Samsung in November 2008 with the ITC and the U.S. District Court in Delaware. The judge in the first ITC case has set a target date of mid September to issue his initial determination.

Spansion's ITC complaints seek to exclude and enjoin from the U.S. market infringing Samsung Flash memory products and downstream products that contain them.

"Flash memory is a critical part of billions of dollars worth of consumer electronics such as MP3 players, cell phones, digital cameras, and tablet computers. Over the years, Samsung's infringement has and continues to unjustly enrich Samsung by many hundreds of millions of dollars," the company said.

Spansion is one of only two U.S.-based memory companies with wafer manufacturing onshore and said it holds more than 3,000 patents and patent applications.

While Samsung is the subject of the litigation, ITC procedures dictate that Spansion name manufacturers of downstream products containing Samsung infringing devices in its ITC complaint. Companies named in the ITC cases include Cupertino,Calif.-based Apple Inc. (Nasdaq:AAPL), Research in Motion, Nokia and others.

Spansion runs an 850-person Austin manufacturing plant. The company quietly emerged from bankruptcy in May after generating a profit four consecutive quarters and raising $225 million in cash.

Samsung Austin Semiconductor LLP employs 1,000 in Austin and plans to add 95 more in the coming weeks.