Synopsys and Mentor in Patent Settlement

Article By : Dylan McGrath, EE Times

Long-running patent dispute ends in settlement and collaboration agreement

SAN FRANCISCO — EDA heavyweights Synopsys and Mentor Graphics agreed to settle a long-running emulation patent litigation as part of a collaboration deal between Synopsys and Mentor’s parent company, Siemens PLM Software.

The settlement agreement includes a seven-year patent cross-licensing agreement between Synopsys and Mentor. It presumably brings to an end a long-running battle over emulation technology that began between Mentor and EVE SA, a French emulation firm that Synopsys acquired in 2012. As recently as last year, an appeals court upheld a  $36 million jury verdict in favor of Mentor in the case.

More broadly, the deal between Synopsys and Siemens includes collaboration on a range of EDA product interoperability projects for the benefit of mutual customers, spanning applications from design to verification.

Aart de Geus

“With the increasing complexity in electronics driven by AI, automotive, industrial and other high-impact markets, semiconductor and systems companies are grappling with design challenges from the roots of silicon all the way up to the application software,” said Aart de Geus, Synopsys chairman and co-CEO, in a press statement.

“Interoperability is a critical aspect of enabling customers not only in EDA but in the broader context of system development,” said Tony Hemmelgarn, CEO of Siemens PLM Software.

— Dylan McGrath is the editor-in-chief of EE Times.