YMTC wins German court injunctions against Micron over 3D NAND patents

September 24, 2026 at 01:31 AM2 min

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Chinese chipmaker YMTC secured German court injunctions against Micron on September 18, after the Munich I Regional Court found Micron infringed two YMTC patents related to 3D NAND technology. The injunctions could restrict Micron's product shipments in Germany and affect the broader European NAND memory market. Micron has appealed the decision and continues to challenge the patents' validity in separate proceedings.

Key Facts

The Munich I Regional Court issued injunctions against Micron on September 18 for infringing two YMTC patents related to 3D NAND.
YMTC filed the lawsuit in late 2025, opening five cases involving four German patents and one European patent.
The injunctions cover patents DE202020006166U1 and DE202021004551U1, each with a 10-year protection term.
Micron has appealed the decision and is challenging the patents' validity in separate proceedings across multiple countries.
The patent dispute between YMTC and Micron began in 2023 and has expanded to more than 20 patents across China, the US, the UK, Germany, and other European countries.

Court Ruling

The Munich I Regional Court found Micron infringed two YMTC patents related to 3D NAND technology on September 18. The court issued injunctions against Micron, which could restrict the company's product shipments in Germany. The patents at issue are DE202020006166U1 and DE202021004551U1, each with a 10-year protection term. The remaining cases in the lawsuit were postponed, and the decisions are subject to suspension if Micron successfully appeals to the Munich Higher Regional Court.

Patent Dispute History

YMTC filed the lawsuit in late 2025 at the Munich I Regional Court, opening five cases involving four German patents and one European patent. The patent conflict began in 2023 when YMTC sued Micron in California, accusing it of infringing eight patents on 3D NAND architecture. The dispute has since expanded to more than 20 patents and involves mutual lawsuits and counterclaims in China, the US, the UK, Germany, and other European countries. Micron denies infringement and has filed its own invalidation actions against YMTC patents since 2024, with seven challenged patents already declared invalid.

Market Impact

The injunctions could affect the broader European NAND memory market, as 3D NAND is used in smartphones, SSDs, and enterprise storage systems. Micron has stated it will continue to defend its intellectual property and has appealed the court's decision. The enforcement of the injunctions depends on the outcome of Micron's appeal to the Munich Higher Regional Court.