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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
 
March 26, 2008
  
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)
 
SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
  
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
         
DELAWARE   000-49602   77-0118518
         
(State or Other
Jurisdiction of Incorporation)
  (Commission File Number)   (IRS Employer
Identification No.)
 
3120 SCOTT BLVD.
SUITE 130
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA
95054
  
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
 
(408) 454-5100
  
(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 (see General Instruction A.2. below):
     
o   Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
     
o   Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
     
o   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
     
o   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
 
 

 


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Item 8.01. Other Events.
SIGNATURES


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Item 8.01. Other Events.
     In March 2006, Elantech Devices Corporation (“Elantech”) filed a Complaint for Patent Infringement against us claiming that we infringed one of its patents and seeking damages, attorneys’ fees, and a permanent injunction against us infringing or inducing others to infringe the patent. The Elantech patent relates to recognizing and providing an indication of the presence of multiple fingers on a touchpad. In April 2006, we filed our Answer to the Complaint and Counterclaims against Elantech, claiming that Elantech has infringed and induced infringement of four of our patents and seeking damages, attorneys’ fees, and a permanent injunction against infringing or inducing others to infringe. In addition, in December 2007, we filed a Complaint for Patent Infringement against Elantech claiming that Elantech infringed one of our patents relating to detecting the presence of multiple fingers on a touchpad and seeking damages, attorneys’ fees, and an injunction.
     The most recent development was that on March 20, 2008, the Court, based on its infringement ruling, filed an order preliminarily enjoining us from making, using, selling, importing into or offering to sell within the United States touchpad products containing our “Type 2” firmware code with enabled multiple finger counting functionality. We have previously developed additional ways to detect multiple fingers and have our own related patents.
     We are not shipping any products that utilize the contested code. As a result, the preliminary injunction will have no impact on us, our business, or our customers. Although the contested code is no longer used in our products, we do not believe the contested code infringes the Elantech patent and we intend to appeal the Court’s infringement ruling.
     We do not believe any aspect of the Court’s decision will have a material effect on our business. We intend to vigorously defend our patents and pursue our counterclaims.

 


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SIGNATURES
     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.
         
  SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
 
 
Date: March 27, 2008  By:    /s/Russell J. Knittel  
    Russell J. Knittel   
    Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary, and Treasurer   
 

 

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This website contains forward-looking statements that are subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements give our current expectations and projections relating to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business, and can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Such forward-looking statements may include words such as "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "believe," "estimate," "plan," "target," "strategy," "continue," "may," "will," "should," variations of such words, or other words and terms of similar meaning. All forward-looking statements reflect our best judgment and are based on several factors relating to our operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the risks as identified in the "Risk Factors," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Business" sections of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for our most recent fiscal year, and other risks as identified from time to time in our Securities and Exchange Commission reports. Forward-looking statements are based on information available to us on the date hereof, and we do not have, and expressly disclaim, any obligation to publicly release any updates or any changes in our expectations, or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any forward-looking statement is based. Our actual results and the timing of certain events could differ materially from the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any mergers, acquisitions, or other business combinations that had not been completed as of the date of this filing.