In the Kilby vs. Noyce case, pitting Texas Instruments against Fairchild Semiconductors over the first patent on integrated circuits, which began in 1959, after Fairchild’s final appeal of the court’s ruling, the court ultimately overturned the verdict and awarded the patent to Fairchild. Texas appealed to the Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case. Ultimately, however, the integrated circuit market would be so vast and advanced compared to the original patent that the two companies agreed to grant each other cross-licenses.
