Nvidia: Rambus has dropped patent claims with ITC

Chip maker Nvidia said Monday that Rambus Inc., a company that licenses semiconductor technology, has dropped patent-infringement claims against Nvidia at the International Trade Commission.

Rambus, based in Los Altos, Calif., filed a complaint with the ITC in November, saying Nvidia had violated patents on graphics processors and other related chips.

"We are pleased Rambus has recognized the weakness of these patents and claims," Nvidia's general counsel, David Shannon, said in a statement Monday.

A spokeswoman for Rambus did not immediately return a call seeking comment on the case Monday morning.

Last week, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued an opinion rejecting 41 of Rambus's patent claims against Santa Clara, Calif.-based Nvidia, covering seven of nine separate patents involved in the dispute.

The ITC's investigation was scheduled for August.

Nvidia shares slipped 25 cents to $10.58 in morning trading, while shares of Rambus fell 38 cents to $14.21.