AMD/RTG's Raja Koduri Joins Intel

[geearf]

I have. Everyone at NeXT and Apple Engineering signed non-compete clauses. We also signed that any and all IP creative works while there are the explicit property of NeXT and later Apple Inc. Only a poorly run company would not require it.

But that would mean that if you were fired you could not work in that domain anymore... That's a bit harsh.
The IP sure, I've signed similar stuff, the NDA too of course.

[smitty3268]

But that would mean that if you were fired you could not work in that domain anymore... That's a bit harsh.
The IP sure, I've signed similar stuff, the NDA too of course.

Typically those kind of agreements only state that you can't go to work for a direct competitor. If you are blocked from a job in the entire domain, that's a surefire way of determining that it won't be upheld in court. Of course, even the less restrictive ones are questionable, but I think the point of them is to just try and reduce the number of people who bother fighting it. If you're really determined and willing to get a lawyer I think most of them don't tend to stand up. (NDA's are of course very different, and do hold up as well as agreements signing over all the IP you create on the job to your employer)

[Peter Fodrek]

Too bad that Intel will now have AMD's graphics knowledge. Legal industrial espionage. What a shame for AMD.

It is not such problem


Intellectual Property Rights; Potential Litigation. Pursuant to a 1976 agreement, as extended in 1982, AMD and Intel have cross-licensed their patents to each other http://ir.amd.com/mobile.view?c=74093&v=202&d=3&id=aHR0cDovL2FwaS50Z W5rd2l6YXJkLmNvbS9maWxpbmcueG1sP2lwYWdlPTk2MTQxJkR TRVE9MSZTRVE9MjkmU1FERVNDPVNFQ1RJT05fUEFHRSZleHA9J nN1YnNpZD01Nw%3D%3D

It seems it is still active

Intel and AMD renew patent cross-licensing pact
EE Times
5/4/2001
Specific terms of the 10-year agreement were not disclosed because officials said the pact is confidential. AMD and Intel have signed four patent cross-license agreements since 1976.

https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1129690

AMD clarifies cross-license with Intel: change of control terminates agreement for both

Anton Shilov May 21, 2015 APU, CPU

Advanced Micro Devices has clarified terms of the cross-license agreement with Intel Corp. on Thursday. As it appears, if either AMD or Intel change their control (i.e., gets acquired), the cross-license agreement between the two companies is automatically terminated for both parties.

https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/amd-clarifies-cross-license-with-intel-change-of-control-terminates-agreement-for-both/

There Is No Intel-AMD Licensing Deal
Intel doesn't need AMD's intellectual property.
Timothy Green
(TMFBargainBin)
May 18, 2017

Intel later refuted the rumors outright, with a company spokesperson telling CNBC that the "recent rumors that Intel has licensed AMD's graphics technology are untrue."

https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/05/18/there-is-no-intel-amd-licensing-deal.aspx

So cross license agreement of 1976 was still valid in may as of valid extensions. Maybe it is still valid as od AMD GPU inside Intel CPU MCP

[Drago]

He is Vice President of Intel now.

[Kendji]

Something like this was expected, taking a sudden sabbatical and making an separate anouncement about it seemed odd and a pre-cursor to something else.

[L_A_G]

Are you sure it's that common?

In the U.S at least it is.

Not really enforceable in many states, California especially.

There are ways to enforce those agreements anyway.

[cRaZy-bisCuiT]

Larabel-like architecture?

[geearf]

Typically those kind of agreements only state that you can't go to work for a direct competitor. If you are blocked from a job in the entire domain, that's a surefire way of determining that it won't be upheld in court. Of course, even the less restrictive ones are questionable, but I think the point of them is to just try and reduce the number of people who bother fighting it. If you're really determined and willing to get a lawyer I think most of them don't tend to stand up. (NDA's are of course very different, and do hold up as well as agreements signing over all the IP you create on the job to your employer)

Makes sense, thank you!

[vegabook]

You know, it's always a bit suspicious whenever someone leaves and immediately joins a competitor, specially when they start to work in a department that competes very directly with the part of the business they used to work in...

To anyone with an IQ higher than their shoe number it's pretty clear that he was planning on leaving to join intel as he took his sabbatical and didn't intend to return. Companies tend to make employees sign non-compete agreements to prevent competitors from poaching key people intimately familiar with their trade secrets, but it seems like that doesn't apply to people on the executive level.

Anyone who thinks this may benefit AMD, they're sorely mistaken. Intel doesn't want to be paying for any externally sourced IP. In the past they've had to source graphics IP from Imagination Technologies and low power CPU IP from ARM, but it's always phased out either because they replace it with in-house IP (PowerVR) or they just exit the market completely (ARM). The poaching of this guy basically just comes down to Intel wanting to finally be able to make graphics silicon that can actually compete with AMD and Nvidia, not just supplement them.

Actually a) there is speculation that he was "eased out" - he had a frought relationship with Lisa Su and the Vega product is unremarkable plus the launch was botched and b) Non competes are illegal in California.

[Jabberwocky]

Like rats fleeing a sinking ship…

More like pest control doing it's job. You know it wasn't Raja's decision to leave AMD?

I guess he knows what lies ahead for AMD, and we all know their graphics division is in deep trouble.

Sure AMD graphics is in trouble. Raja was responsible for that. Here's a quote from him in case you've missed it.

"Vega was indeed hard on many, and my sincere heartfelt thanks to all of you who endured the Vega journey with me. Vega was personally hard on me as well and I used up a lot of family credits during this journey. I have decided to take a time-off in Q4 to spend time with my family. I have been contemplating this for a while now and there was never a good time to do this. Lisa and I agreed that Q4 is better than 2018, before the next wave of product excitement. Lisa will be acting as the leader of RTG during by absence." -- Raja Koduri