Some lawyers are getting little vacation this holiday season. As HardwareCentral reports, AMD and several graphics card makers have been sued over alleged patent infringement by Richtek Technology.

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A Taiwanese analog integrated circuit (IC) designer has filed a patent infringement complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission against Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and four graphics card makers, two in China and two in the U.S..

Richtek Technology claims AMD (NYSE: AMD), Hong Kong-based Sapphire Technology, Taiwan's uPI Semiconductor, and U.S. firms Diamond Multimedia and XFX Technology infringed on three of its patents. It also claimed the companies used its business secrets "inappropriately."

Richtek said that it had been informed earlier this week that the ITC had begun conducting an investigation into the matter. The company has also filed lawsuits against the companies in district court in northern California, asking for an injunction and compensation, it said.

AMD and XFX were both closed for the holidays and unavailable for comment. A spokesperson for Diamond declined to comment.

Read the full story at HardwareCentral:
AMD, Video Card Makers Sued in Patent Case