Because Intel has been utilizing FinFET technology since 2011, the technology has become a critical component of the company's CPU development. But the business was sued in China by the Academy of Sciences in 2018 for infringement of a FinFET patent, and the case is still ongoing. 

Intel has been accused of infringing on a patent held by a research and development center supported by the Chinese government, and the corporation has questioned the legitimacy of the patent in question. Intel chips may be prohibited from being sold in China.

Intel, on the other hand, was unsuccessful in its sixth fight with the China Patent Reexamination Board. As a result, the Chinese government may decide to prohibit the sale of processors from the "Core" family in the country. In addition, if the parties fail to establish a licensing deal, they could be obliged to pay around $ 31 million in damages to the Institute of Microelectronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMECAS), as well as litigation fees. Intel responded to Tom's Hardware with the following views on the matter:

This decision is subject to appeal and Intel awaits the court's balanced consideration of the patent invalidity challenges.

We are unable to make a reasonable estimate of the potential loss, if any, arising from these matters. We dispute the accusations of IMECAS and try to defend ourselves vigorously.

The 457 patent, also known as the "FinFET" patent, is at the core of this controversy. Additionally, IMECAS sued Dell China and JingDong Century Information Technology for patent infringement, but both firms offered Intel compensation. Intel has been successful in having three of the patent claims declared invalid as a result of their claim for the validity of the invention. Another 11 are, on the other hand, still legitimate. So the infringement complaint, along with two other lawsuits brought against Intel by IMECAS, will proceed as planned in the coming months. These other lawsuits are also related to the manufacturing and selling of Core i3 processors, but this time the focus is on MOSFET technology.

Finally, it appears that Intel has exhausted its options for challenging the validity of the patent, and it is possible that this dispute may be resolved in court or through a settlement in the coming months.

Intel 6th patent infringement case, China may restrict the sale of its CPUs.