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Comment by bobwaycott | Hacker News Reader

Is the IP/licensing situation particularly onerous here to prevent making their own x86_64 chip?

Yeah. There are only three extant architectural license holders (Intel, AMD and VIA) and they're basically in a circular firing squad of patents.

To make their own chips, they'd need to either license from an existing holder (which wouldn't let them tinker unless it was a partnership or they acquired the license) or they'd need to make something so incredibly great the other three would trip over themselves to use it, and bind themselves in the process.

If they wanted to go x86 they would just buy VIA? I think it will be aarch64

I’m not sure they can for this purpose. I remember people talking about the idea of buying AMD but it’s possible the license terms may say it doesn’t survive a purchase; making AMD or Via worthless for that purpose.

Unless the licensing terms are extremely lopsided, they'd still own AMD64 patents which EM64T is based on, and intel would need to strike a new deal. VIA's situation should be similar, but with other technologies.

Without meaning to comment on whether it is likely or not, they could also easily buy AMD.

(Price tag would be in the ballpark of $15-20 billion, 3 months of income for Apple)

AMD's cross-licensing agreements are unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your point of view, nontransferable.

https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/amd-clar...

I wonder if "non-transferable" covers tricks like Apple loaning AMD the cash for AMD to buy Apple. Then renaming the new AMD to Apple. Then it would pay itself back for the loans.

I vaguely remember that the licensing agreement between Intel and AMD (Intel licenses x86 to AMD, AMD licenses x86_64 to Intel) expires if AMD gets bought. Apple could renegotiate, but it would not be straightforward, I think.

> If they wanted to go x86 they would just buy VIA?

In theory, but then VIA is a subsidiary of Formosa Plastics Group, so they'd need to either negotiate the sale with an entity with which they've locked horns in the past or buy an entire petrochemical group???

They'd probably have an easier time buying AMD.

Right, same group that owns HTC. They did have some big-ish lawsuits going with Apple some years back. So maybe not that easy, in practice.

Money don't smell to them, memory in the business world is short if the price is right.

Replying to sibling comments.

They can't buy AMD (nobody can) for patents as licences on parts of x64 AMD doesn't own will be voided if AMD is ever acquired.

Yes. Everything since the Pentium is still encumbered. Intel and AMD have extensive cross licensing agreements. Anyone want to build an x86_64 chip would need to either purchase a company that already had licenses or negotiate with both AMD and Intel.

Couldn't Apple easily buy AMD? (not to say they wouldn't have a million reason not too)

AMD will lose its license in case of a sale as per their agreement with Intel.

Intel will also lose access to AMD patents.

Yes. x86_64 is younger than patent lifespan, anyway.

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