Startup accuses Nvidia and Microsoft of infringing on patents and forming a cartel

Xockets, a startup funded by the co-founder of Yahoo and the CTO of Intel, is accusing Nvidia and Microsoft of patent infringement and participating in a buying cartel. The lawsuit claims Nvidia's DPUs, such as BlueField, ConnectX, and NVLink Switch, are based on Xockets' patented technology, which helps make cloud infrastructure more efficient. Xockets alleges that Nvidia and Microsoft, as customers of Nvidia, have infringed on its patents and participated in a buying cartel through RPX, a company formed to enable and create buyers' cartels for intellectual property. The startup is seeking damages and for the court to order the companies to stop violating its patents and antitrust law. Xockets' investor and board member, Robert Cote, believes the startup has enough resources to take on the large companies. Nvidia and Google declined to comment, while Microsoft and RPX did not immediately respond.