LOL, as if the readers of comp.arch could move markets....
'Cept this is not posted to c.a - it's csipch.c... and no I don't think the
usual readers here could move markets but it could be a little more
complicated.
Unless perhaps we have a mutual fund manager reading, I rather doubt
the aggregate wealth of comp.arch readers can have any meaningful
influence on a stock that is widely traded.
What was happening, as far as we could figure, was that a couple of pump
'n' dumpers from the Yahoo RMBS stock group were planting msgs here and
trying to use it as a reference. Of course they themselves were looking
over their shoulders, hoping that all the insider trading would not sink
them before they pulled their dump.
rambus as bad as they could. Obviously, Rambus was trying to **** them
as well...but the timelines are really unclear to outside observers.
If you mean resisting being held up for ransom, yes the memory mfrs, apart
from a coupla wimps -- and the biggest one has recently reneged on their
"friendship" with RMBS -- wanted nothing to do with Rambus or their "IP".
The timelines are quite clear for anybody who followed it, as well as the
web of deceit sewn by Rambus through a contorted mess of abandonments,
continuations & divisions of patent applications. They *were* censured for
document shredding and even the judge who upheld their appeal against
Infineon remarked on their (lack of) business ethics.
The DRAM vendors have a decidedly poor legal reputation (look at all
the guilty pleas in the last few years and lawsuits). Rambus is
certainly as bad in some respects, except I don't think they really
started by deciding to try and kill all the DRAM vendors.
The DRAM *manufacturers*/vendors fell over for the "guilty pleas" because
it was cheaper; Christ at the time they were accused of price fixing, they
were all losing money hand over fist. What the hell did the legal system
expect them to do?... just declare banruptcy?... keep making and selling a
product which had negative returns? IIRC there's one guy in prison because
he had erased notes on competitors' pricing. Now tell me that sales reps,
in any industry, don't have notes on what competitors are charging.<shrug>
Rambus were scum; whether they've "reformed" we'll see - watch the lawyer
count. They *knew* they couldn't kill the DRAM vendors -- just look at the
investment required for a fab vs. RMBS capitalisation... not even in the
same ballpark. They just wanted to suck blood... at extortionate rates on
a per chip royalty basis.
There have been things that have happened and deals which have been made
which we'll probably never know about but here's a coupla little teasers
fer ya: how much did IBM pay to Rambus in licensing fees for the XDR IP
for Cell?... and why did nobody just buy RMBS up when it was at $4. or
so?
