Tjaart van der Walt <tjaart@wasp.co.za> wrote:

> There is plenty of skepticism around as to whether these [Scenix
> SX] parts are vapourware or not. My development kit is on its way,
> so I can tell you they are real.

    Tjaart:

    Until you receive it, all you can really tell us with any
    certainty is, "My development kit is on its way, so my
    development kit is on its way."

> Speaking of Mchip litigation; I notice that Mchip 'settled' some
> dispute over the Keeloq technology with Rohm and Excel. Does anybody
> know who paid who and what it was about?

    The exact settlement terms weren't disclosed, but Exel (a
    privately-held subsidiary of Rohm) has "surrendered to Microchip
    any license rights that it might have had in the KEELOQ
    technology".

    In case you don't remember, both Microchip and Exel had licenses
    to manufacture silicon that implemented the Keeloq technology
    developed by Nanoteq... And Exel was first to market, in late
    1995.

    Microchip bought Nanoteq shortly thereafter, and almost
    immediately sued Exel (in mid-March 1996) for trademark and
    copyright infringement and misappropriation of trade secrets.
    Microchip also sought a preliminary injunction against Exel, but
    withdrew it after Exel stopped using the "Keeloq" trademark and
    began using "SureLok" instead.

    In the two years since the suit was filed, Microchip's Keeloq
    sales volume has soared while Exel has been more-or-less sucking
    wind.  Personally, I don't think Exel lost much by settling the
    suit, and I don't think it'll have much effect on Microchip,
    either.

    -Andy

=== Andrew Warren - fastfwd@ix.netcom.com
=== Fast Forward Engineering - Vista, California
=== http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/2499