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Memory specialist Netlist (NLST) filed a new U.S. International Trade Commission complaint seeking to block imports of Micron (MU) memory chips used in Google, Nvidia and Broadcom AI products. The escalation moves a long-running patent fight straight into the heart of the AI hardware supply chain.
What happened
Netlist’s complaint — first filed under seal Friday — accuses Micron’s chips and the tech giants’ products of infringing two Netlist patents covering high-bandwidth memory (HBM) technology. The company asked the tribunal to bar imports of Micron DRAM devices and the Google, Nvidia and Broadcom GPUs, servers and other products incorporating the allegedly infringing chips.
- Patents asserted: two covering high-bandwidth memory (HBM)
- Targets: Micron (MU) DRAM plus Google (GOOGL), Nvidia (NVDA) and Broadcom (AVGO) AI products
- Prior verdict: $445 million against Micron in Marshall, Texas federal court (2024)
- Earlier ITC complaint filed in August over chips used in Super Micro Computer, HPE and Lenovo products
Spokespeople for Micron, Google, Nvidia and Broadcom did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Netlist has been steadily widening the battlefield: August’s ITC complaint targeted chips used in server products from Super Micro Computer, HPE and Lenovo.
Why it matters
ITC exclusion orders can bite far faster than district-court verdicts, and an import ban touching Nvidia and Google AI hardware would land on the most supply-constrained corner of the technology market. Even short of an outright ban, the complaint hands Netlist fresh settlement leverage — and forces hyperscalers to contingency-plan around a potential disruption to HBM supply.
What to watch
The ITC will decide in the coming weeks whether to open an investigation; watch for Micron’s response and any sign the tech giants join the defense. Also in play: the August ITC complaint against server makers, and any movement toward a licensing deal that could moot both cases at once.
Related reading: Nvidia and AMD Lobby Trump to Strip China Chip Restrictions From Defense Bill
Sources:
ReutersAuto-posted by the Bull Lounge news desk.
Not financial advice.
Could an ITC import ban actually disrupt AI hardware supply, or is this mainly leverage for a settlement?
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