Intel and AMD renew legal sniping

Longtime rivals AMD and Intel may be headed towards yet another legal showdown.

The latest issue to arise between the two sides centers around AMD's recently-announced fabrication spin-off, Global Foundries.

The company agreed to cut its manufacturing branch loose as an independent firm supported in part by investment from Abu Dhabi.

According to Intel, the formation of the new company runs afoul of a 2001 licensing agreement the two companies struck.

Intel claims that Global Foundries does not qualify as a subsidiary under the deal and, as such, is not allowed to use any of the licenses negotiated by AMD.

The company said that it will seek to resolve the issue through mediation.

"AMD cannot unilaterally extend Intel's licensing rights to a third party without Intel's consent," said Bruce Sewell, Intel senior vice president and general counsel.

"We are willing to find a resolution but at the same time we have an obligation to our stockholders to protect the billions of dollars we've invested in intellectual property."

The latest saga extends what has already been a contentious legal relationship between the rival chipmakers.

AMD has long sought the aid of regulatory agencies in pursuing anti-trust cases against Intel, claiming that the company conspired with system vendors to push AMD out of markets worldwide.