Netlist signs $600M patent license deal with Micron
The license calls for $30 million quarterly payments over 20 calendar quarters, totaling $600 million through the third calendar quarter of 2031.
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Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Netlist, Inc. entered into a settlement and release agreement and a patent license agreement with Micron Technology, Inc. on October 5, 2026. The settlement agreement provides for settlement and mutual release of all pending legal proceedings between the companies identified in the agreement. The license gives Micron a worldwide, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable five-year license to Netlist’s entire worldwide patent portfolio.
Micron will pay $30 million per calendar quarter for 20 calendar quarters, from the fourth calendar quarter of 2026 through the third calendar quarter of 2031, totaling $600 million during the license term.
A securities purchase agreement provides for Micron to purchase 10 million shares of Netlist common stock for an aggregate cash purchase price of $1 million, with closing to occur on or before October 6, 2026. The share issuance will not be registered and is to rely on Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. Transfer and disposition restrictions will be released for 20% of the shares on each of the first four anniversaries of issuance, with the remaining shares released on the fifth anniversary.
Filing Explained
The 8-K says Micron purchased 10 million shares, but also says closing will occur on or before
8-K Event Classification
Key Figures
Key Terms
non-exclusive technical
non-transferable technical
non-sublicensable technical
Section 4(a)(2) regulatory
FAQ
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How much will Micron pay Netlist (NLST) under the patent license?
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest
event reported):
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) |
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(
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
| Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) |
Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
| None |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨
Item 1.01. Entry into Material Definitive Agreement.
Settlement Agreement
On October 5, 2026, Netlist, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into a Settlement and Release Agreement (the “Settlement Agreement”) with Micron Technology, Inc, a Delaware Corporation (“Micron”), which settles and mutually releases all pending legal proceedings between the Company and Micron identified therein.
Patent License Agreement
On October 5, 2026, the Company entered into a Patent License Agreement (the “License Agreement”) with Micron. Pursuant to the License Agreement, the Company grants Micron a worldwide, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable five-year term license to the Company’s entire worldwide patent portfolio.
Payments by Micron to Company
Under the License Agreement, Micron will pay the Company quarterly license fees of $30 million for each of the twenty calendar quarters from the fourth calendar quarter of 2026 through the third calendar quarter of 2031, for a total value of $600 million during the five-year term of the License Agreement.
Securities Purchase and Lock-up and Release Agreements
On October 5, 2026, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement and a Lock-Up and Release Agreement with Micron. Pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, Micron purchased 10 million shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), for an aggregate cash purchase price of $1 million. Pursuant to the Lock-up and Release Agreement, twenty percent of the Shares will be released from the disposition and transfer restrictions set forth therein on each of the first, second, third and fourth anniversaries of the issuance of the Shares, with the remaining Shares released on the fifth anniversary. The issuance of the Shares to Micron will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the Company and Micron have agreed that the issuance of the Shares will be accomplished in reliance upon Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. The closing of the transactions contemplated by the Securities Purchase Agreement will occur on or before October 6, 2026.
Forward Looking Statements
This Current Report on Form 8-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the anticipated benefits, timing, and financial impact of the Settlement Agreement, the License Agreement, the Securities Purchase Agreement, and the Lock-Up Agreement, the expected receipt and timing of payments thereunder, and the Company’s ongoing litigation and licensing efforts. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including risks related to the Company’s ability to collect amounts owed to it under the License Agreement, the outcome of the Company’s pending and future litigation with other parties, and other risks described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, except as required by law.
Item 3.02. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities.
To the extent required by Item 3.02 of Current Report on Form 8-K, the disclosures in Item 1.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K under the headings “Securities Purchase and Lock-Up and Release Agreements” are hereby incorporated by reference.
Item 8.01. Other Events.
Press Release
On October 6, 2026, the Company issued a press release announcing its entry into the Settlement Agreement, the License Agreement, and the Securities Purchase Agreement. A copy of the press release is furnished hereto as Exhibit 99.1.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
| Exhibit | ||
| Number | Description | |
| 99.1 | Press Release of Netlist, Inc., dated October 6, 2026. | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document). |
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| NETLIST, INC. | ||
| Date: October 6, 2026 | By: | /s/ Gail M. Sasaki |
| Gail M. Sasaki | ||
| Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | ||
Exhibit 99.1
Netlist and Micron Enter Patent License and Settlement Agreements
IRVINE, California, October 6, 2026, Netlist, Inc. (OTCQB: NLST) today announced that the Company and Micron Technology, Inc. (“Micron”) have entered into Patent License and Settlement Agreements.
Under the agreements, the parties have agreed to settle and mutually release all pending legal proceedings between the companies, and Micron will receive a 5-year term license to Netlist’s patent portfolio, including patents covering server DIMMs and High Bandwidth Memory technologies. Micron will pay Netlist $30 million per quarter from the fourth quarter of 2026 through the third quarter of 2031, totaling $600 million during the term.
“The agreement with Micron further validates the value of our AI memory technologies,” said C.K. Hong, Netlist's Chief Executive Officer. “We remain committed to protecting our IP while continuing to invest in the development of next-generation products.”
Further details regarding the transaction are available in Netlist's Current Report on Form 8-K filed concurrently with the issuance of this release and available on the SEC filings page of the Netlist website here.
About Netlist
Netlist is a leading innovator in advanced memory and storage solutions. With a rich portfolio of patented technologies, Netlist's inventions are foundational to the advancement of AI computing. To learn more about Netlist, please visit www.netlist.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release include, without limitation, statements about anticipated benefits of the agreements, the parties' ability to perform their respective obligations under, and to realize the anticipated benefits of those agreements, future exclusion and cease and desist orders, Netlist's ability to successfully enforce its intellectual property rights, and evaluations and judgments regarding Netlist's intellectual property portfolio. Forward-looking statements are statements other than historical facts and often address future events or Netlist's future performance. They reflect management's present expectations regarding future events and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by any forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others, risks: Netlist may not be able to collect the substantial amount in damages previously awarded to it in its litigations (appeals in general could cause a lengthy delay in Netlist's ability to collect damages awards, could overturn the verdicts or reduce the damages awards); Netlist will suffer adverse outcomes in its litigation with Google or in its various other active proceedings to defend the validity of its patents; related to Netlist's plans for its intellectual property, including its strategies for monetizing, licensing, expanding, and defending its patent portfolio, which efforts may not be successful; other patent infringement litigation initiated by Netlist, or by others against Netlist, may not be successful or resolve favorably for Netlist, particularly given the costs and unpredictability of any such litigation; associated with Netlist's product sales, including whether and how long the current market and demand for products sold by Netlist will persist or persist as expected and whether Netlist may successfully develop and launch new products that are attractive to the market; whether Netlist will continue to acquire components or products for resale on favorable terms; that Netlist or its counterparties may fail to perform their obligations as required pursuant to applicable license and supply agreements, associated with the competitive landscape of Netlist's industry, general economic, political and market conditions, factory slowdowns and/or shutdowns, and changes in international trade and tariff policies. All forward-looking statements reflect management's present assumptions, expectations and beliefs regarding future events and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by any forward-looking statements. These and other risks and uncertainties are described in Netlist's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 27, 2025 filed with the SEC on March 19, 2026, and the other filings it makes with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including any subsequently filed quarterly and current reports. In light of these risks, uncertainties and other factors, these forward-looking statements should not be relied on as predictions of future events. These forward-looking statements represent Netlist's assumptions, expectations and beliefs only as of the date they are made, and except as required by law, Netlist undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements for any reason.
For more information, please contact:
Investors / Media
Mike Smargiassi
The Plunkett Group
NLST@theplunkettgroup.com
(212) 739-6729