Synopsys, Inc. v. Mentor Graphics Corp.

ORDER ON MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Before the Court are cross-motions for summary judgment, filed October 3, 2014, by plaintiff Synopsys Inc. (“Synopsys”) and defendant Mentor Graphics Corporation (“Mentor”), by which the parties set forth their respective positions as to the patent eligibility of eight claims as recited in three patents held by Synopsys, 1 specifically, claims 1, 2, 8, and 9 of U.S. Patent No. 5,748,488 (“’488 patent”), claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 5,530,841 (“ ’841 patent”), and claims 32, 35, and 36 of U.S. Patent No. 5,680,318 (“ ’318 patent”).

BACKGROUND

The three patents at issue (hereinafter “the Gregory patents”) relate generally to the field of integrated circuit (“IC” or “chip”) design. ICs are composed of logic circuits and memory circuits, which themselves are composed of “tens, hundreds, or even potentially thousands, of transistors, resistors, capacitors, or other hardware components.” (See Decl. of Ronald D. Blanton, Ph.D. (“Blanton Deck”), filed October 3, 2014, ¶ 8.) In the 1950s, when ICs were first developed, engineers would hand draw the chip designs with symbols or schematics representing the hardware components to be used. In the…