Intangible Assets

The components of our amortizable intangible assets are as follows:



	October 30, 2011							January 30, 2011
	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization			Net Carrying Amount		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization			Net Carrying Amount
	(In thousands)
Technology licenses	$	320,310	$	(89,304	)	$	231,006	$	320,477	$	(62,791	)	$	257,686
Acquisition-related intangible assets	172,039		(74,057		)	97,982		75,339		(61,114		)	14,225
Patents	32,673		(18,822		)	13,851		32,203		(15,369		)	16,834
Total intangible assets	$	525,022	$	(182,183	)	$	342,839	$	428,019	$	(139,274	)	$	288,745

Amortization expense associated with intangible assets for the three and nine months ended October 30, 2011 was $16.4 million and $42.9 million, respectively. Amortization expense associated with intangible assets for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2010 was $7.6 million and $21.9 million, respectively. Amortization expense increased compared to the prior year primarily due to the addition of acquisition-related intangible assets from the Icera acquisition completed on June 10, 2011 and the patent cross license agreement with Intel entered into on January 10, 2011. Please refer to Note 9 of these Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information regarding the Icera business combination. Future amortization expense related to the net carrying amount of intangible assets at October 30, 2011 is estimated to be $19.1 million for the remainder of fiscal year 2012, $56.8 million in fiscal year 2013, $52.2 million in fiscal year 2014, $52.1 million in fiscal year 2015, $51.2 million in fiscal year 2016 and a total of $111.4 million in fiscal year 2017 and fiscal years subsequent to fiscal year 2017.