GlobalFoundries Secures Appellate Victory in Semiconductor Chip Patent Litigation

Cleary Gottlieb successfully represented GlobalFoundries U.S. Inc. (GlobalFoundries) in a Federal Circuit appeal on a patent infringement case related to semiconductor chip design filed by Oasis Tooling Inc. (Oasis Tooling).

The matter revolved around whether the patents, which described methods for analyzing data to prepare chip designs, were directed to patent-ineligible subject matter under Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank, meaning they claimed abstract ideas rather than patentable inventions. Oasis Tooling claimed its patents covered methods for analyzing data to create computer chip designs, focusing on evaluating cell integrity, changes, and origin verification in the chip design workflow. GlobalFoundries argued that the patents were directed to abstract ideas, specifically the manipulation of data using generic computer components, rather than a specific technological improvement.

In July 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware granted summary judgement in favor of GlobalFoundries, effectively dismissing Oasis Tooling’s infringement claims. Oasis appealed the invalidation of the patents to the Federal Circuit.

On February 26, 2026, the Federal Circuit agreed with GlobalFoundries, because the patents were “directed to an abstract idea” since they capture a process that can be “performed in a human mind.”

The Cleary team was led by partners Clement Naples, Giri Pathmanaban, and Thomas Yeh, and associate Daniel Todd.