Matsushita Signs SDRAM and DDR Controller License Agreement with Rambus

Business Wire, March 13, 2001

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

LOS ALTOS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 2001

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. and Rambus Inc. signed a patent license agreement for SDRAM controllers and Double Data Rate (DDR) controllers that directly interface with these types of memory. Matsushita, a leading controller manufacturer in Japan and supplier for the consumer industry worldwide, is Rambus' first logic-only SDRAM and DDR controller licensee.

Well known for its Panasonic brand, Matsushita is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of digital electronics products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs, with recorded consolidated sales of $68.9 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2000. In addition, Matsushita is ranked among the top twenty worldwide semiconductor companies with revenues exceeding $3.2B in 1999, according to Gartner Dataquest.

Matsushita joins a growing list of semiconductor suppliers who have agreed to sign a patent license agreement. Seven other companies, Samsung, NEC, Toshiba, Hitachi, Oki, Elpida, and Mitsubishi Electric Corp have signed SDRAM and DDR controller and memory license agreements with Rambus.

Under the licensing agreement, the royalty rates for controllers that directly interface with DDR SDRAM are greater than the RDRAM compatible rates. The agreement also includes royalties for controllers that directly interface with SDRAM, as well as a license fee for the entire agreement. The agreement is effective for shipments of licensed products by Matsushita beginning October 1, 2000.

About Rambus Inc.

Rambus Inc. (Nasdaq:RMBS) is an intellectual property company that designs, develops and licenses high-bandwidth chip-connection technologies which enable semiconductor memory devices to keep pace with faster generations of processors and controllers. To date, these efforts have resulted in more than 100 U.S. and foreign patents issued to Rambus. Rambus has licensed its technology to approximately 30 semiconductor companies for the development, manufacture and sale of Rambus-compatible ICs. Providers of Rambus-based integrated circuits include the world's leading DRAM, ASIC, controller and microprocessor manufacturers.

Rambus and RDRAM are registered trademarks of Rambus Inc. Other trademarks that may be mentioned in this release are the intellectual property of their respective owners.