Rambus trial set to start

Barring further delays, the trial pitting Rambus and Infineon will begin Friday in the U.S. District Court for Eastern Virginia. Jury selection will begin in the morning in Judge Robert Payne's court. Oral arguments will take place starting Monday afternoon with the introduction of the first evidence the next day.

Los Altos, Calif.-based Rambus claims that the German memory maker owes it royalties for manufacturing synchronous dynamic RAM, the most common form of memory in PCs today, and double data rate DRAM, a likely successor. Infineon denies the charges. The outcome of the case could have a tremendous impact in the high-tech world. If Rambus wins, the verdict will likely allow it to cement royalty agreements with other manufacturers. If it loses, the value of existing royalty agreements for SDRAM and DDR DRAM with other companies will plummet.