LESSONS LEARNED FROM RAMBUS: INTERNET STANDARDS BODIES BEWARE

摘要

The Rambus case shows that the Federal Circuit does not look kindly on obligations from standards organizations that contain ambiguities. The record leaves little doubt that Rambus took advantage of the JEDEC standards procedures to obtain patent protection, but the Federal Circuit seems loath to impose duties that an organization does not set forth clearly. Thus, standards organizations would be wise to evaluate their policies in light of Rambus to remove possible ambiguities. The importance of standards to the Internet makes such an evaluation particularly critical for Internet standards organizations.