MIT targets Amazon over cloud-security patents

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology alleges that Amazon Web Services infringes two patents covering hardware-based identification and cryptographic security, in a dispute involving Synopsys technology used in cloud infrastructure and connected devices.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Amazon Web Services (AWS), alleging that the cloud computing provider uses hardware-security technology covered by two patents held by the university.

Filed October 9 in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Institute of Technology v. Amazon Web Services Inc. (Case No. 1:26-cv-14600) concerns physical unclonable function (PUF) technology, which uses variations in the physical characteristics of electronic components to generate device-specific values for security applications.

MIT alleges that AWS uses PUF technology supplied by Synopsys in ways that infringe the university’s patents. The university seeks monetary damages, although the amount has not been specified publicly.

Two patents at the center of the dispute

The complaint identifies two patents held by MIT:

• US Patent No. 7,681,103, titled Reliable Generation of a Device-Specific Value.
• US Patent No. 7,818,569, titled Data Protection and Cryptographic Functions Using a Device-Specific Value.

The patents address aspects of generating reliable, device-specific values and using those values in cryptographic functions and data protection.

PUF technology exploits small, inherent differences between electronic components created during manufacturing. These differences can produce a hardware-specific response that helps identify a device or generate cryptographic keys without permanently storing the secret key itself.

The complaint alleges that AWS uses Synopsys’s static random-access memory (SRAM) PUF technology in its cloud infrastructure and related systems. It specifically identifies Amazon FreeRTOS running on an NXP LPC54018 Internet of Things module as an example of an accused platform.

MIT’s allegations concern how the technology generates hardware-specific values and uses them in security operations. The complaint includes claim charts setting out the university’s infringement allegations against each patent. The patents’ scope and the extent to which the accused technology satisfies their individual claim requirements will be central to the dispute. No court has determined whether AWS infringes either patent.

Synopsys technology under scrutiny

The lawsuit highlights the potential intellectual property risks facing companies that incorporate third-party technology into their products and services.

MIT alleges that AWS uses PUF technology supplied by Synopsys, which acquired PUF specialist Intrinsic ID in 2024. Intrinsic ID’s technology is designed to generate device-specific cryptographic keys using the physical characteristics of semiconductor components.

Synopsys is not named as a defendant in the AWS lawsuit. MIT’s claims are directed at AWS’s alleged use of the technology rather than a direct infringement claim against the supplier.

The distinction is significant because patent disputes involving semiconductor components and security systems can extend across multiple levels of the technology supply chain. A supplier may develop or license a component, while a separate company incorporates it into products or infrastructure. Whether either party infringes a patent depends on the patent claims, the relevant activities, and the facts of the case.

The litigation could therefore draw attention to how cloud providers assess patent exposure when deploying hardware-security technology obtained from third parties.

A wider patent-enforcement strategy

The AWS lawsuit follows a separate action brought by MIT against Microsoft in May 2026 concerning the same two patents. That case, pending in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, also concerns alleged infringement involving hardware-security technology. 

The two cases place university-developed technology and its commercial use by major cloud providers under scrutiny. Research institutions can protect and commercialize inventions through patent licensing, and infringement litigation is one route available when a patent holder believes its rights have been violated.

For cloud providers, the disputes underscore the importance of reviewing intellectual property risks across the hardware and software components that underpin their services. The outcome of the AWS case could help clarify how MIT’s patent claims apply to PUF technology used in cloud infrastructure and connected devices. However, the litigation remains at an early stage, and AWS has not publicly responded to the allegations in the reporting cited here.

The case is pending in the District of Massachusetts. MIT is represented by Holland & Knight, and the university has demanded a jury trial.

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