Netflix sues Broadcom for VMware virtual machine patent infringement

Netflix is taking legal action against Broadcom over a dispute involving virtual machine patents owned by VMware, a subsidiary of Broadcom. According to a lawsuit filed in California, Netflix claims that VMware’s cloud software infringes on five patents related to virtual machines. These patents cover topics like CPU usage within virtual machines and the use of virtual machines in a load balancer. Virtual machines are crucial to cloud computing as they mimic physical computer systems and allow for scalable compute resources in cloud systems.

The lawsuit highlights specific products like VMware vSphere Foundation, VMware Cloud Foundation, and VMware Cloud on AWS, as well as cloud solutions from Microsoft, Google, Oracle, IBM, and Alibaba. Netflix alleges that VMware has been willfully infringing on their patents since 2012, and they are seeking damages from Broadcom. In 2023, VMware was acquired by Broadcom for $69 billion.

This legal battle between Netflix and Broadcom is not new, as they have been embroiled in patent disputes since 2018. The U.S. case is set to go to trial in June, and similar cases have been filed in Germany and the Netherlands. It is worth noting that Broadcom has accused Netflix of infringing on their patents related to video streaming technology.

This lawsuit sheds light on the complex world of technology patents and the ongoing disputes among major players in the industry. The outcome of this legal battle could have significant implications for the future of cloud computing and virtualization technology.