Rambus sees earnings climb

Chip designer Rambus reported a rise in earnings and revenue for the first quarter, despite higher legal bills. Earnings for the quarter came to $8.3 million, or 7 cents a share, compared with $5.1 million, or 5 cents a share, in the same period last year. Revenue for the quarter came to $32.5 million, up 16 percent year-on-year and up 1 percent from the previous quarter. The first-quarter earnings, however, reflect a $2.1 million after-tax gain on the sale of an investment.

The Los Altos, Calif.-based company, though, saw a $1.9 million increase in litigation expenses during the quarter. Rambus is currently embroiled in a series of lawsuits with Infineon, Micron Technology and others.