Memory chip company Rambus settles EU antitrust probe with new licenses, avoids fines

Rambus settles EU antitrust probe, avoids fines

BRUSSELS — Memory chip company Rambus Inc. said Friday that European Union antitrust regulators had provisionally agreed to drop a probe and any fines if the company reduced its royalty rates for DRAM patents.

The European Commission in 2007 charged Rambus with antitrust abuse, alleging that the company set “unreasonable” royalties for DRAM patents fraudulently set as industry standards.

Any company that wanted to make DRAM memory chips for computers, printers or servers had to pay Rambus for the design it developed.

Rambus said it would now offer licenses with maximum royalty rates for certain memory types and memory controllers.

The EU must check with other industry players that this satisfies antitrust concerns before the deal can be finalized.