XML 31 R19.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.24.4

Contingencies | 3 Months Ended
--- | ---
Nov. 28, 2024
Loss Contingency [Abstract] |
Contingencies | Contingencies We are currently a party to legal actions other than those described below arising from the normal course of business, none of which are expected to have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, or financial condition. Patent Matters As is typical in the semiconductor and other high-tech industries, from time to time, others have asserted, and may in the future assert, that our products or manufacturing processes infringe upon their intellectual property rights. A description of certain claims is below. On April 28, 2021, Netlist, Inc. (“Netlist”) filed two patent infringement actions against Micron, Micron Semiconductor Products, Inc. (“MSP”), and Micron Technology Texas, LLC (“MTEC”) in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. The first complaint alleges that one U.S. patent is infringed by certain of our non-volatile dual in-line memory modules. The second complaint alleges that three U.S. patents are infringed by certain of our load-reduced dual in-line memory modules (“LRDIMMs”). Each complaint seeks injunctive relief, damages, attorneys’ fees, and costs. On March 31, 2022, Netlist filed a patent infringement complaint against Micron and Micron Semiconductor Germany, GmbH in Dusseldorf Regional Court alleging that two German patents are infringed by certain of our LRDIMMs. The complaint seeks damages, costs, and injunctive relief. In rulings issued on March 7, 2024 and November 7, 2024, the Federal Patent Court in Germany declared both patents invalid. On June 10, 2022, Netlist filed a patent infringement complaint against Micron, MSP, and MTEC in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (“E.D. Tex.”) alleging that six U.S. patents are infringed by certain of our memory modules and HBM products. On August 1, 2022, Netlist filed a second patent infringement complaint against the same defendants in E.D. Tex. alleging that one U.S. patent is infringed by certain of our LRDIMMs. On August 15, 2022, Netlist amended the second complaint to assert that two additional U.S. patents are infringed by certain of our LRDIMMs. The complaints in E.D. Tex. seek injunctive relief, damages, and attorneys’ fees. On May 23, 2024, following a four-day trial regarding the second complaint filed by Netlist in the E.D. Tex., a jury rendered a verdict that Micron’s memory modules infringe two asserted patents — U.S. Patent No. 7,619,912 (“the ‘912 patent”) and U.S. Patent No. 11,093,417 (“the ‘417 patent”) — and found that Micron should pay $425 million for infringement of the ‘912 patent and $20 million for infringement of the ‘417 patent. Micron expects to appeal the verdict. On April 17, 2024, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) issued a final written decision (“FWD”) finding unpatentable the sole asserted claim of the ‘912 patent. On September 10, 2024, Netlist filed a notice that it will appeal the ruling that the ‘912 patent is invalid to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (“Federal Circuit”). On July 30, 2024, the USPTO issued a FWD finding unpatentable all asserted claims of the ‘417 patent. On December 10, 2024, Netlist filed a notice that it will appeal the ruling that the ‘417 patent is invalid to the Federal Circuit. In the case of each of the ‘912 and ‘417 patents, if the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirms the FWD, then the affirmed FWD will preclude any pending actions asserting infringement of such patent (including any infringement verdict that is subject to an ongoing appeal). On January 23, 2023, Besang Inc. filed a patent infringement complaint against Micron in the U.S. District Court for the E.D. Tex. The complaint alleges that one U.S. patent is infringed by certain of our 3D NAND and SSD products. The complaint seeks an injunction, damages, attorneys’ fees, and costs. On November 9, 2023, Yangtze Memory Technologies Company, Ltd. (“YMTC”) filed a patent infringement complaint against Micron and one of its subsidiaries in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (“N.D. Cal.”). The complaint alleges that eight U.S. patents are infringed by certain of our 3D NAND products. The complaint seeks an injunction, damages, attorneys’ fees, and costs. On January 22, 2024, Micron Semiconductor (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (“MSS”) was served with three patent infringement complaints filed by YMTC in Beijing Intellectual Property Court and on February 27, 2024, Micron Technology, Inc. (“MTI”) was served with the same complaints. The complaints assert that MTI and MSS infringed three Chinese patents owned by YMTC by importing, selling, offering for sale, and assisting others to sell certain 3D NAND products and SSDs in China. The complaint seeks an injunction, damages, attorneys’ fees, and costs. On July 12, 2024, YMTC filed a second complaint against the Company and its subsidiary in N.D. Cal. The second complaint alleges that eleven U.S. patents are infringed by certain of our 3D NAND and DDR5 DRAM products. The complaint seeks an injunction, damages, attorneys’ fees, and costs. On September 11, 2024, MSS was served with five patent infringement complaints filed by YMTC in Shanghai Intellectual Property Court. The complaints assert that MTI and MSS infringed five Chinese patents owned by YMTC by importing, selling, offering for sale, and assisting others to sell certain 3D NAND products and SSDs in China. The complaint seeks an injunction, damages, attorneys’ fees, and costs. On October 16, 2024, Palisade Technologies, LLP filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Micron and MSP in the U.S. District Court for the W.D. Tex. The complaint alleges that five U.S. patents are infringed by certain of our DRAM, NAND, 3D NAND, and SSD products. The complaint seeks an injunction, damages, attorneys’ fees, and costs. The above lawsuits pertain to substantially all of our DRAM, NAND, and other memory and storage products we manufacture, which account for substantially all of our revenue. Antitrust Matters On May 15, 2018, the Chinese State Administration for Market Regulation (“SAMR”) notified Micron that it was investigating potential collusion and other anticompetitive conduct by DRAM suppliers in China. On May 31, 2018, SAMR made unannounced visits to our sales offices in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen to seek certain information as part of its investigation. We are cooperating with SAMR in its investigation. Other Matters In the normal course of business, we are a party to a variety of agreements pursuant to which we may be obligated to indemnify another party. It is not possible to predict the maximum potential amount of future payments under these types of agreements due to the conditional nature of our obligations and the unique facts and circumstances involved in each particular agreement. Historically, our payments under these types of agreements have not had a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, or financial condition. Contingency Assessment We ar e unable to predict the outcome of any of the matters noted above and cannot make a reasonable estimate of the potential loss or range of possible losses. A determination that our products or manufacturing processes infringe the intellectual property rights of others or entering into a license agreement covering such intellectual property could result in significant liability and/or require us to make material changes to our products and/or manufacturing processes. Any of the foregoing, as well as the resolution of any other legal matter noted above, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, or financial condition.

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LossContingencyAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The entire disclosure for loss and gain contingencies. Describes any existing condition, situation, or set of circumstances involving uncertainty as of the balance sheet date (or prior to issuance of the financial statements) as to a probable or reasonably possible loss incurred by an entity that will ultimately be resolved when one or more future events occur or fail to occur, and typically discloses the amount of loss recorded or a range of possible loss, or an assertion that no reasonable estimate can be made. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 720 -SubTopic 20 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147483359/720-20-50-1 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB Topic 5.Y.Q4) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480102/450-20-S99-1 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB Topic 5.Y.Q2) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480102/450-20-S99-1 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147483076/450-20-50-1 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/450-20/tableOfContent Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (a) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147483076/450-20-50-4 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -Subparagraph (a) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147483076/450-20-50-9 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 450 -SubTopic 30 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/450-30/tableOfContent Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 450 -SubTopic 30 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147483049/450-30-50-1 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LossContingencyDisclosures
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration