Finding it increasingly hard to compete in the market, Texas Instruments Inc is demanding royalty payments from Japanese chip makers that amount to 10% of the value of the memory chips they manufacture, United Press International reports: Texas Instruments is not commenting beyond repeating that discussions are under way with a number of Japanese and Korean manufacturers regarding renewal of semiconductor patent license agreements, most of which expire at the end of 1990; Toshiba Corp admitted to the news agency that Texas had set forth a new proposal in the course of negotiations for a new licence agreement, but would not disclose details; most of the Japanese manufacturers have patent cross-licence agreements with Texas, and if its demands are exorbitant say they will seek to get back on the swings what they lose on the roundabouts.
