Netlist files complaint seeking US import ban on Micron chips

Netlist, the Irvine, California-based memory technology company, just lobbed another legal grenade at Micron Technology. The firm filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission on September 27, 2026, seeking to block imports of Micron’s high bandwidth memory chips, the very components powering the AI hardware boom.

The complaint names Google, Nvidia, and Broadcom as respondents too, since they’re the ones integrating Micron’s accused chips into their AI accelerators, GPUs, and servers. If the ITC sides with Netlist, the result could be an exclusion order that prevents those Micron chips from crossing US borders at all.

What Netlist is targeting

The complaint zeroes in on Micron’s HBM3E, HBM4, and HBM4E products. Netlist alleges that these Micron products infringe two of its patents: US Patent Nos. 12,308,087 and 12,646,537. By naming downstream customers like Google, Nvidia, and Broadcom, Netlist is essentially saying that anyone importing or using the infringing products should be covered by any potential ban.

This is the second ITC action Netlist has brought against Micron in quick succession. An earlier complaint filed on August 11, 2026, already triggered an active investigation, designated No. 337-TA-1523.

Micron, for its part, didn’t wait around to play defense. The company filed a declaratory-judgment action in Delaware on August 10, 2026, essentially asking a federal court to rule that it does not infringe Netlist’s patents.

Netlist’s growing war chest

What makes this latest filing particularly interesting is the financial momentum Netlist has built in recent months. In August 2026, the company reached a settlement with Samsung Electronics that could be worth up to $898 million to Netlist. That deal included a cross-license agreement, which means Samsung now pays for the privilege of using Netlist’s memory technology rather than fighting about it in court.

The Samsung settlement wasn’t Netlist’s first big payday, either. In 2024, the company secured a $445 million patent verdict against Micron in a Texas courtroom.

The ITC is a popular venue for patent holders precisely because of this power. Unlike a regular federal court, which typically awards damages after the fact, the ITC can issue exclusion orders that physically stop products at customs. The process also tends to move faster, with investigations often reaching a decision within 12 to 18 months.

Why this matters for the AI supply chain

Micron is one of only three major HBM suppliers globally, alongside Samsung and SK Hynix. Removing Micron’s HBM products from the US import pipeline, even temporarily, could create meaningful supply constraints at a time when demand for AI chips already far outstrips available inventory.

The competitive dynamics could also shift. Samsung and SK Hynix, Micron’s two primary rivals in the HBM market, would stand to benefit from any supply vacuum. Samsung’s recent settlement with Netlist, which included a cross-license, positions it cleanly outside the legal crosshairs.