Vicor发起337-TA-1526调查涉AI服务器垂直供电，工业富联、立讯等20家厂商被列名但均称无实质影响

The US International Trade Commission's (USITC) decision on October 9 to investigate 20 suppliers of AI server power systems, most of them Taiwanese or Chinese companies and their affiliates, adds a patent front to a series of US measures in 2026 that reward companies for building AI hardware in America and raise the cost of shipping it in from Asia.

The timing is sensitive because that trade is booming. According to a DIGITIMES analysis of Trade Map data, AI hardware, led by servers, processors, and memory chips, accounted for 38% of growth in world exports in 2025, with servers and other computer units up 66.8%. Among economies reporting complete data, eight East Asian exporters supplied 58% of export growth in the first half of 2026, with the US data center buildout as the main end market.
The new case, 337-TA-1526, was brought by Vicor, a power technology company based in Andover, Massachusetts. It alleges that vertical power delivery systems used to power AI accelerators, GPUs, and CPUs in data center servers infringe one of its patents. Respondents include Delta Electronics, Quanta Computer, Foxconn and its subsidiary Foxconn Industrial Internet (FII), Luxshare Precision, Monolithic Power Systems, Infineon, Flex, and Celestica. Vicor is seeking a limited exclusion order and cease-and-desist orders.
Section 337 cases are filed by companies, not by the administration, and exclusion orders apply to imports. The case follows two earlier Vicor complaints. In February 2025, the USITC found two Vicor patents valid and infringed in case 337-TA-1370 and issued a limited exclusion order against Delta, Cyntec, Foxconn, Ingrasys, and Quanta, according to Vicor's counsel Susman Godfrey. A second case, 337-TA-1484, instituted in February 2026, names Delta, Quanta, Wistron, and Wiwynn and has a target completion date of September 20, 2027.
The Taiwanese respondents said the new case has not disrupted their business. Foxconn said a preliminary assessment found no material impact on its production, shipments, or customer cooperation, and that it had formed a team to clarify the patent and product scope involved and would respond in line with legal procedures. The case is in its early stages, and Foxconn stated that the USITC has made no substantive finding on Vicor's infringement claims.
Quanta said it would require the relevant suppliers to handle the disputed components properly, while Delta said it would respond in line with relevant procedures to protect its interests. Both said their products were unaffected and declined to comment further because the case had entered legal proceedings.
The Chinese respondents said the accused products are not yet in volume production. Luxshare said in an October 10 exchange filing that the products, integrated power supply solutions for data center power modules and processors, were still in customer verification and that it did not expect a significant adverse impact on its operations. Foxconn Industrial Internet said the products were still under internal verification and assessment and had not materially affected its operations or results, Economic Daily News reported.
Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) described the case as a patent dispute between companies. Its International Trade Administration said the matter is still under review under US Section 337 procedures and that the government respects the process, United Daily News reported. The agency said it would monitor developments, stay in contact with the companies involved, and provide appropriate assistance when necessary, adding that such investigations usually take 12 to 16 months to complete.

Credit: Compiled by DIGITIMES