InfoAnda - At chipmaker trial, investors play Rambus roulette |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Japan's three major non-life insurers eye merger: report | 29 December 2008
Obama's stimulus plan heads for stormy Senate debate | 2 February 2009
Rights groups worried as Cambodia orders refugee camp shut | 21 December 2010

Defence lawyer for Mumbai attack accused dismissed | 30 November 2009

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : At chipmaker trial, investors play Rambus roulette |

Edition: U.S. Article Comments (1) Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read New "win a baby" game draws fire 07 Jul 2011 China warns U.S. officials not to meet Dalai Lama 07 Jul 2011 Suspect in 7 murders killed ex-girlfriends, his own daughter | 12:40pm EDT Internet providers to act against online pirates 07 Jul 2011 Jobs growth stalls, setting back recovery hopes | 3:44pm EDT Discussed 210 Minnesota government shutdown begins after talks fail 133 Obama: ending tax breaks required to cut deficit 100 Jury resumes deliberations in Casey Anthony murder trial Watched Mobile harbor delivers the goods for container ships at sea Wed, Jul 6 2011 A Tokyo-Paris flight in under three hours on the horizon Fri, Jun 24 2011 Skyping on Facebook Wed, Jul 6 2011 At chipmaker trial, investors play Rambus roulette Tweet Share this Email Print Related News Samsung quarterly profit falls as weak LCDs overshadow mobiles Thu, Jul 7 2011 Roger Clemens' perjury trial begins Wed, Jul 6 2011 Casey Anthony jury begins deliberations Mon, Jul 4 2011 Casey Anthony murder trial nears conclusion Sun, Jul 3 2011 Closing arguments Sunday in Casey Anthony trial Fri, Jul 1 2011 Analysis & Opinion Skype’s options plan and Silicon Valley norms Casey Anthony is OJ’d in the first sensational Twitter era case Related Topics Technology » By Noel Randewich and Dan Levine SAN FRANCISCO | Fri Jul 8, 2011 1:02pm EDT SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Chun Ming has spent the past two weeks in a cramped San Francisco courtroom, sending notes from his laptop to a tight-knit group of investors glued to a $4 billion antitrust battle involving some of the world's biggest chipmakers. A passionate Rambus Inc shareholder, Ming prizes the few seats close to an electrical outlet in the crowded gallery. He's a prime spectator as the technology licensing company tries to wrest a fortune from Hynix Semiconductor Inc and Micron Technology Inc in a trial expected to last months. "I'd bet my life on Rambus at least doubling, but I have no money left," said Ming, a former electronics tester who is in his mid-fifties. Investors for years have wagered on disputes related to Rambus' memory-chip patents, and the company's stock price swings dramatically on court rulings. Options activity in Rambus appeared to turn bullish with the start of the California trial, where a Rambus victory could cause its stock price to skyrocket. But to get that boost, the Sunnyvale, California-based company and its shareholders need the jury -- including a retired medical secretary, a library worker and a software company employee who owns his own patent -- to sift through highly technical material and rule in their favor. It's the kind of bet several analysts view as no better than a coin toss. Rambus has spent more than $300 million on legal bills since it was founded in 1990, equivalent to $1 million per employee, as it sued the biggest names in the business for allegedly infringing some of its more than 1,000 patents. Many Rambus investors are attracted to the stock's volatility -- and others to the narrative of a small company defending itself from larger aggressors. The company has a stock market value of $1.6 billion, modest compared to the $4.38 billion it seeks from the jury. Rambus says South Korea's Hynix and Idaho-based Micron colluded to fix prices of memory chips used in personal computers and prevent its technology from becoming widely used. It claims it lost billions of dollars in business. Micron and Hynix say Rambus' chip technology was plagued with technical problems and that the company blames its competitors for its own failure. In the past 10 trading sessions starting June 22, investors bought more than 12 Rambus calls for every put as a new position on three U.S. options exchanges, according to Schaeffer's Investment Research. That ratio is higher than 97 percent of the readings this past year. (For a graph of Rambus option activity, click r.reuters.com/puv52s ) DAILY GRIND At the trial, day-to-day proceedings are laden with complex instructions to jurors about how they may use the detailed evidence. Two weeks into the case, Superior Court Judge James McBride gently warned jurors not to sleep on the job. Rambus co-founder Mark Horowitz testified this week along with former Hynix executive Farhad Tabrizi. Micron Chief Executive Steve Appleton is on the company's witness list. While Rambus has been successful in settling some claims in the past, putting a case in the hands of a jury creates a wild card, said Gareth Feighery, a founder of Philadelphia-based options education firm MarketTamer.com. The uncertainty will lead to "more speculative than smart trading," he said. Sharing a vigorous online message board where they discuss Rambus, shareholders chip in money to pay for the lunches of members who attend the trial to post reports on its progress. Rambus followers at the trial have included one who flew in from Connecticut and another stopping by on a break from work. Last year, after an Ohio man committed suicide, mourning members of the message board said he was part of their group and had been devastated after losing his savings on Rambus shares and options. "There has been a real sense of community on that board for a long time," John Danforth, general counsel for Rambus until 2006, told Reuters. "Some volunteers go to court, some are lawyers, some are patent experts." WHO DID WHAT? The jury may award Rambus none, some, or all of the billions it seeks. Any payment they decide on could be tripled under California law, although the judge has leeway to reduce a jury's award and the verdict could face lengthy appeals. Jurors often see trials as morality plays and are less focused on technical details, said U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel, who has presided over several patent trials. "They're trying to figure out the good guys and the bad guys," said the San Jose, California-based judge, who is not involved in the Rambus case. "They're trying to take the narrative of the trial and understand it in terms of who did what to whom." Rambus could reach a deal with Micron and Hynix. Samsung, the world's top memory-chip maker, inked a licensing agreement with Rambus last year worth up to $900 million, allowing it to avoid this trial. A Hynix representative declined to comment, and representatives for Rambus and Micron did not have an immediate comment on any settlement possibility. Rambus shares, which closed at $14.93 on Thursday, might be worth anywhere from $9 to $109 depending on the trial's outcome, said Capstone Investments' Jeff Schreiner, one of only a few analysts covering Rambus. He has a $45 price target. Memory-chip stocks have fallen since April on worries about sluggish PC sales, but analysts say Micron's shares have also been hurt by concerns about the trial. The stock is down about 30 percent since the end of April and is trading below book value. Hynix shares are down about 21 percent. "You can never completely factor in the lawsuit because we never seem to be able to completely handicap what is happening," said JMP Securities analyst Alex Gauna. After years of mixed results in court for Rambus, Ming is optimistic but doing his best not to get his hopes up. "I've already pretended they lost." (Additional reporting by Doris Frankel in Chicago and Miyoung Kim in Seoul; Editing by Martha Graybow and Tim Dobbyn) Technology Related Quotes and News Company Price Related News Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (1) phwt wrote: It’s an antitrust trial, not a patent trial. Hynix already plead guilty to the DOJ and ratted out Samsung regarding RDRAM. Micron is the first company to rat out their co-conspirators to the DOJ in order to avoid sending their execs to prision, as Hynix and Samsung did. Check out the Special Instruction to Jurors that the Judge read in court. Jul 08, 2011 3:05pm EDT -- Report as abuse See All Comments » Add Your Comment Social Stream (What's this?) © Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters Editorial Editions: Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom United States Reuters Contact Us Advertise With Us Help Journalism Handbook Archive Site Index Video Index Reader Feedback Mobile Newsletters RSS Podcasts Widgets Your View Analyst Research Thomson Reuters Copyright Disclaimer Privacy Professional Products Professional Products Support Financial Products About Thomson Reuters Careers Online Products Acquisitions Monthly Buyouts Venture Capital Journal International Financing Review Project Finance International PEhub.com PE Week FindLaw Super Lawyers Attorney Rating Service Reuters on Facebook Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Saturday, 9 July 2011
Graeme McDowell grabs share of Scottish Open lead with course record 64
Turkey insists on apology to normalize Israel ties |
Hits keep coming for Ohio State football: Buckeyes vacate wins from 2010
Riding another hot streak, Rangers' Michael Young reaches another milestone
LMFAO earn first-ever #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Party Rock Anthem"
Africa drought endangers 500,000 children: U.N. |
Atlantis lifts off on final space mission
Italy PM, finance chief meet, markets wary |
Former News of the World editor arrested in phone hacking, corruption investigation
Top Kremlin aide says Putin is God's gift to Russia |
Al Shabaab: Arab nations failing to aid Somalia in devastating drought
UK bank giant Santander finds there's no place like home for call center
WikiLeaks partner loses Visa, MasterCard loophole |
U.S. Internet providers to act against online pirates |
Space shuttle leaves Earth on final flight |
Games publisher Zynga buys Canadian mobile apps co |
At chipmaker trial, investors play Rambus roulette |
Oprah Winfrey a top choice to host Oscars: report |
Young stars struggle with life after Harry Potter |
Independent South Sudan free at last, tensions remain |
Hundreds arrested in protest against Malaysian PM |
A more experienced Canadian pair returns from World Tour beach volleyball
Gunmen kill at least 20 in Mexican bar
U.N. chief urges transparent elections in Egypt |
Exclusive: South Sudan says can live off credit if north blocks |
Several top paddlers, including Korea’s Lee Jung Woo, expected at Ho Chi Minh event
War and drought compounding Somalia exodus |
Travis Snider drives in five as Blue Jays hold off Indians
Obama juggling options on budget negotiations
U.S. and French envoys in Hama, 13 killed in Syria |
Running back Caleb King declared ineligible by Georgia football program
Brad Keselowski wins Kentucky Nationwide race
Former Giants wideout Plaxico Burress eying a number of teams
Rain washes out Cup qualifying at Kentucky
Stacy Lewis stays in front as rain plays havoc with women's U.S. Open
Russ Cochran leads First Tee Open after birdie run at Pebble Beach
Space shuttle leaves Earth on final flight |
Fire near stage cuts short Rihanna concert in Texas |
Murdoch hosts film screening amid hacking scandal |
Murdoch flies to London to tackle phone-hack crisis |
Horrible Bosses director vents on unemployment |
Japan's Kan says nuclear clean-up could take decades |
Afghan agent kills NATO soldier and civilian in Panjshir |
Iraq blocs to take two more weeks on U.S. troop issue |
Rebels brace for attacks as Gaddafi threatens Europe |
Israel to deport some 120 pro-Palestinian activists |
Egypt says no Gulf pressure to halt Mubarak trial |
Saudi arrests hardline cleric al-Ahmed: activists |
Wet confusion: I.K. Kim emerges as second round leader at women's U.S. Open
Turkey hopes for Cyprus referendum in early 2012 |
UN official: 100 children die in Somalia daily
Dodgers dismiss Steve Garvey from front office post
Tour De France ends early once again for Dutch rider Tom Boonen
Chez Reavie surges to lead at John Deere Classic with 9-under 62
NCAA puts West Virginia on two years probation for football violations
Jose Paolo Guerrero shines again in Peru's win over Mexico
Why Black Women, Infants Lag In Birth Outcomes
Horrible Bosses director vents on unemployment |
Argentine singer Facundo Cabral killed in Guatemala |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01