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Contingencies
6 Months Ended
Oct. 01, 2011
Contingencies [Abstract] 
Contingencies
Note 18. Contingencies
Patent Litigation
On December 28, 2007, a patent infringement lawsuit was filed by PACT XPP Technologies, AG (PACT) against the Company in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division (PACT XPP Technologies, AG. v. Xilinx, Inc. and Avnet, Inc. Case No. 2:07-CV-563). The lawsuit pertains to eleven different patents and PACT seeks injunctive relief, damages including enhanced damages, interest and attorneys’ fees. The lawsuit is currently scheduled to go to trial in December 2011. The plaintiff alleged that it has suffered damages in the amount of approximately $53.0 million as a result of the alleged infringement and is requesting trebling of damages as well as pre-judgment interest, attorneys fees and post-judgment royalties. The Company vigorously disputes its liability and the damages claimed by plaintiff. At this time, the Company is unable to estimate its range of possible loss.
On July 30, 2010, a patent infringement lawsuit was filed by Intellitech Corporation (Intellitech) against the Company in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (Intellitech Corporation v. Altera Corporation, Xilinx, Inc. and Lattice Semiconductor Corporation Case No. 1:10-CV-00645-UNA). The lawsuit pertained to a single patent and Intellitech sought declaratory and injunctive relief, unspecified damages, interest and attorneys’ fees. On February 15, 2011, the Company filed a lawsuit against Intellitech in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (Xilinx, Inc. v. Intellitech Corporation, Case No. CV11-0699). The lawsuit pertained to seven patents and a single trademark and the Company sought declaratory and injunctive relief, unspecified damages, costs and attorneys’ fees. The parties reached a confidential agreement to settle both actions and the lawsuits were dismissed with prejudice on October 18, 2011. The amount of the settlement did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.
On February 14, 2011, the Company filed a complaint for declaratory judgment of patent noninfringement and invalidity against Intellectual Ventures Management LLC and related entities (Intellectual Ventures) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. On September 30, 2011, the Company amended its complaint in this case to eliminate certain defendants and patents from the action (Xilinx, Inc. v Intellectual Ventures I LLC and Intellectual Ventures II LLC, Case No CV11-0671). The lawsuit pertains to five patents and seeks judgments of non-infringement by Xilinx and judgments that the patents are invalid and unenforceable, as well as costs and attorneys’ fees.
On February 15, 2011, Intellectual Ventures added the Company as a defendant in its complaint for patent infringement previously filed against Altera Corporation (Altera), Microsemi Corporation (Microsemi) and Lattice Semiconductor Corporation (Lattice) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (Intellectual Ventures I LLC and Intellectual Ventures II LLC v. Altera Corporation, Microsemi Corporation, Lattice Semiconductor Corporation and Xilinx, Inc., Case No. 10-CV-1065). The lawsuit pertains to five patents, four of which Xilinx is alleged to be infringing. Intellectual Ventures seeks unspecified damages, interest and attorneys’ fees and the proceedings are in their early stages. The Company is unable estimate its range of possible loss in this matter at this time.
On October 17, 2011, Xilinx filed a complaint for patent non-infringement and invalidity and violation of California Business and Professions Code Section 17200 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against Intellectual Ventures and related entities as well as additional defendants (Xilinx, Inc. v. Intellectual Ventures, LLC. Intellectual Ventures Management, LLC, Detelle Relay KG, LLC, Roldan Block NY LLC, Latrosse Technologies LLC, TR Technologies Foundation LLC, Taichi Holdings, LLC, Noregin Assets N.V., LLC and Intellectual Venture Funding LLC Case No CV-04407).
On or about September 2, 2011, a patent infringement lawsuit was filed by HSM Portfolio LLC and Technology Properties Limited LLC (HSM/TPL) against the Company and seventeen other defendants in the U.S. District of Delaware (HSM Portfolio LLC and Technology Properties Limited LLC v. Fujitsu Limited, et al., Case No. CV11-770). The lawsuit pertains to four patents, two of which Xilinx is alleged to be infringing. HSM/TPL seek unspecified damages, interest and attorneys’ fees and the proceedings are in their early stages. The Company is unable to estimate its range of possible loss in this matter at this time.
On or about September 15, 2011, a patent infringement lawsuit was filed by Smart Foundry Solutions, LLC (SFS) against the Company and eight other defendants in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (Smart Foundry Solutions, LLC v. Analog Devices, et al., Case No. CV-01396). The lawsuit pertains to a single patent and has not been served on Xilinx as of the date of this filing. SFS seeks injunctive relief, unspecified damages, interest and attorneys’ fees and the proceedings are in their early stages. The Company is unable to estimate its range of possible loss in this matter at this time.
Other Matters
Except as stated above, there are no pending legal proceedings of a material nature to which the Company is a party or of which any of its property is the subject.