Imagination Technologies put up for sale amid Apple dispute (opens in new tab)

(bbc.co.uk)

64 points_anything_8y ago21 comments

21 comments

I feel like Imagination Tech can't die fast enough. These guys aggressively created patent clouds around anything and everything 3D graphic. It wasn't until a lot of the base patents on 3D acceleration started expiring that anyone would even consider the move Apple made. I hope that in 5 years we've got SoC's with fully open GPUs that are at least as powerful as the old 3Dfx Voodoo and Nvidia TNT series from the 90s.

kimixa8y ago

PowerVR have never filed a single patent suit. Are you confused with a different company? Like NVidia [1] or AMD [2] or something?

[1] https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2014/09/04/nvidia-launches-pat... [2] http://www.anandtech.com/show/11101/amd-files-patent-complai...

comex8y ago

Perhaps not, but it certainly owns a lot of patents:

https://patents.google.com/?assignee=Imagination+Technologie...

1 more reply

dogma11388y ago

Nvidia and AMD are doing the same thing. Outside of X86 GPUs are probably the most walled off market, you literally cannot make a GPU today without violating a patent.

wolfgke8y ago

> Outside of X86 GPUs are probably the most walled off market

I think FPGAs are more walled off.

rasz8y ago

NVidia started to use tiled rendering recently, EDIT: maybe after relevant Imagination patents expired.

IBM8y ago

2017 was the year Apple decided they don't feel like paying for IP anymore.

I can't wait to see how the Qualcomm case plays out. I'm not a lawyer, but the recent Supreme Court decision on Lexmark seems like a huge threat to Qualcomm's business model.

bryanlarsen8y ago

My cynical take: Imagination Tech's legitimate business is vulnerable to an Apple counter-suit. Without that legitimate business weighing it down it would be much more valuable as a patent troll.

icanhackit8y ago

> it would be much more valuable as a patent troll

Or the threat of a counter-suit is low but they want to weaponize the company out of spite and the low chance of recovering as a producer of new IP. My recollection might be off but didn't Apple want to purchase Imagination but Imagination wanted to remain an independent company, so Apple hired away their talent instead? Or am I confusing this with what they did to Nuance?

frou_dh8y ago

Wonder if Apple's inhouse GPUs will turn out as well as their CPUs. It's gotta be a hell of a gig to land to work on either.

faragon8y ago

My bet: Apple will buy Imagination Technologies.

sweden8y ago

It would be illegal after the announcement that they would stop buying Imagination's GPUs. Imagination's value tanked after, they wouldn't be allowed to buy it.

faragon8y ago

Not necessarily, e.g. if the takeover has a prime high enough for matching previous stock price. Or buying IT for cheap, without using any of their chips, just for having their patents.

Grazester8y ago

Google seems to be interested in hardware, hiring an ex Apple chip designer. Maybe they would be interested in this sale.

samfisher838y ago

For 500 mil it should be a no brainier. Its like a rounding error for google.

rwmj8y ago

ImgTech has been a bit of a basket case for a long time. Why did they buy MIPS for $100m? Why have they just (last year) built a huge posh new HQ when they were losing money? I don't think it's something Google would want.

1 more reply

thrillgore8y ago

Edit: I misspoke, I had the wrong company in my sights. Sorry folks.

kimixa8y ago

Got a source on that? As far as I'm aware Imagination have never been in the controller/haptic feedback market.

EDIT: Are you thinking of "Immersion" [1]? Completely different company.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immersion_v._Sony

cfraenkel8y ago

Damn, you got my hopes up. I think you're confusing these guys with "Immersion", who were the haptic feedback people.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

21 comments

ChuckMcM8y ago

kimixa8y ago

PowerVR have never filed a single patent suit. Are you confused with a different company? Like NVidia [1] or AMD [2] or something?

[1] https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2014/09/04/nvidia-launches-pat... [2] http://www.anandtech.com/show/11101/amd-files-patent-complai...

comex8y ago

Perhaps not, but it certainly owns a lot of patents:

https://patents.google.com/?assignee=Imagination+Technologie...

1 more reply

dogma11388y ago

Nvidia and AMD are doing the same thing. Outside of X86 GPUs are probably the most walled off market, you literally cannot make a GPU today without violating a patent.

wolfgke8y ago

> Outside of X86 GPUs are probably the most walled off market

I think FPGAs are more walled off.

rasz8y ago

NVidia started to use tiled rendering recently, EDIT: maybe after relevant Imagination patents expired.

IBM8y ago

2017 was the year Apple decided they don't feel like paying for IP anymore.

I can't wait to see how the Qualcomm case plays out. I'm not a lawyer, but the recent Supreme Court decision on Lexmark seems like a huge threat to Qualcomm's business model.

bryanlarsen8y ago

My cynical take: Imagination Tech's legitimate business is vulnerable to an Apple counter-suit. Without that legitimate business weighing it down it would be much more valuable as a patent troll.

icanhackit8y ago

> it would be much more valuable as a patent troll

frou_dh8y ago

Wonder if Apple's inhouse GPUs will turn out as well as their CPUs. It's gotta be a hell of a gig to land to work on either.

faragon8y ago

My bet: Apple will buy Imagination Technologies.

sweden8y ago

It would be illegal after the announcement that they would stop buying Imagination's GPUs. Imagination's value tanked after, they wouldn't be allowed to buy it.

faragon8y ago

Not necessarily, e.g. if the takeover has a prime high enough for matching previous stock price. Or buying IT for cheap, without using any of their chips, just for having their patents.

Grazester8y ago

Google seems to be interested in hardware, hiring an ex Apple chip designer. Maybe they would be interested in this sale.

samfisher838y ago

For 500 mil it should be a no brainier. Its like a rounding error for google.

rwmj8y ago

1 more reply

thrillgore8y ago

Edit: I misspoke, I had the wrong company in my sights. Sorry folks.

kimixa8y ago

Got a source on that? As far as I'm aware Imagination have never been in the controller/haptic feedback market.

EDIT: Are you thinking of "Immersion" [1]? Completely different company.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immersion_v._Sony

cfraenkel8y ago

Damn, you got my hopes up. I think you're confusing these guys with "Immersion", who were the haptic feedback people.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse