Harvard Settles Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against Samsung

Harvard agreed to dismiss a patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung, a South Korean tech conglomerate, and waived its rights to refile the suit on Monday.

The lawsuit was filed in a Texas federal court in August, when the University alleged that Samsung’s production of microprocessors breached patented work by Harvard chemistry professor Roy G. Gordon ’61 and four other members of Gordan’s lab.

Before the lawsuit’s termination, Harvard granted Samsung an extension in November to respond to the suit by Jan. 31. Both parties agreed to resolve the case four days before that deadline.

In its original complaint, the University requested a “royalty and/or lost profit damages” and an award to Harvard for “further relief.” The terms of the agreement, including any monetary compensation Harvard may have received, were not disclosed in the legal notice.

Harvard has previously sued other technology companies such as Micron and GlobalFoundries on similar grounds for their usage of Gordon’s work. Both cases were settled for undisclosed amounts in 2017 and 2018.

University spokesperson Jason A. Newton wrote in a statement that “Harvard University is pleased to have reached an amicable resolution of the patent lawsuit filed by Harvard against Samsung.” Newton declined to comment on the agreement terms.

The South Korean company has been sued in patent infringement cases by several universities, including the California Institute of Technology and the University of Connecticut. Both filed complaints against the tech giant in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas — the same court Harvard filed its suit in.

The court is known for attracting patent-related lawsuits due to its reputation of plaintiff-friendly verdicts.

California Institute of Technology settled the lawsuit in 2023 but the terms of the settlement are undisclosed. The University of Connecticut case is ongoing.

With the settlement, Harvard’s case will not go to jury trial as originally requested by the University.

—Staff writer Grace E. Yoon can be reached at grace.yoon@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @graceunkyoon.