U.S. trade regulators have launched an investigation into Samsung Electronics’ memory chips and a range of artificial intelligence hardware sold by Google, Nvidia, Broadcom, and Super Micro Computer after California-based Netlist accused the companies of infringing its memory technology patents.
The investigation by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) marks the latest escalation in Netlist’s years-long legal battle with Samsung and comes at a time when demand for high-performance memory chips is surging as hyperscale cloud providers and AI companies accelerate data center investments.
At the center of the dispute are dynamic random access memory (DRAM) technologies used in servers that power AI workloads. DRAM temporarily stores data for processors and has become one of the most critical components in AI infrastructure, particularly as advanced AI systems require enormous amounts of high-speed memory to train and run sophisticated models.
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Netlist alleges that Samsung and its U.S. subsidiaries infringed patents covering data-processing technologies used in these memory products. Because Samsung supplies memory chips used across the AI hardware ecosystem, the complaint also names products imported by major technology companies, including Google, Nvidia, Broadcom, and Super Micro Computer, that incorporate the disputed components.
The USITC said an administrative law judge will conduct an evidentiary hearing before issuing an initial determination, which will then be subject to review by the full commission. The agency will establish a target completion date for the investigation within 45 days.
Netlist has asked the commission to issue one of its most powerful remedies: an exclusion order blocking imports of the allegedly infringing memory chips and AI products into the United States, as well as cease-and-desist orders preventing further sales.
If the commission ultimately grants those remedies, they would take effect immediately and become final after a 60-day presidential review period unless the U.S. Trade Representative vetoes them on public policy grounds, an action that is relatively rare.
The investigation highlights how intellectual property disputes are increasingly intersecting with the AI infrastructure boom. Demand for advanced memory chips has risen sharply as Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Meta, OpenAI and other AI developers continue investing hundreds of billions of dollars in AI data centers. That surge has fueled higher prices and record earnings for leading memory manufacturers, including Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron.
High-bandwidth memory (HBM) and advanced DRAM have become strategic technologies because AI accelerators from Nvidia and other chipmakers rely heavily on large amounts of high-speed memory to maximize computing performance.
Although Nvidia, Google, Broadcom, and Super Micro are not accused of manufacturing the memory chips themselves, their products could become subject to import restrictions if the USITC determines that they incorporate infringing Samsung components. That raises the stakes considerably, as any import ban could potentially affect servers, AI systems and networking equipment sold into the U.S. market.
The case also exposes the growing legal risks facing the AI hardware supply chain, where a relatively small number of component suppliers serve virtually every major AI system builder.
The latest investigation builds on several courtroom victories Netlist has already secured against Samsung. In 2023, a Texas jury awarded Netlist $303 million in damages in a patent infringement case involving Samsung memory technology. That was followed in 2024 by another Texas jury verdict awarding Netlist an additional $118 million over related memory data-processing technology.
Rather than seeking only monetary damages through federal courts, Netlist is now pursuing trade remedies through the USITC, which has the authority to block imports into the United States. That approach is often viewed as powerful because it can create commercial pressure on technology companies even before damages are resolved.
The investigation follows memory technology’s growth as one of the most strategically important segments of the semiconductor industry. While AI processors from companies such as Nvidia often attract the most attention, industry analysts see advanced memory as an equally critical bottleneck for AI performance, making patent disputes in this segment potentially more consequential for the broader AI ecosystem than in previous semiconductor cycles.