Opinion ID: 2371419
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Parties' Intent

Text: In construing a contract, the primary objective for any court is to give effect to the parties' intent. Accordingly, in deciding on the interpretation of the PLA, the Superior Court's principal goal under Illinois law was to ascertain Citizen's and Motorola's intent in entering into the contract. [16] Thus, the dispositive question in this litigation is what was the parties' intention? In determining the parties' intent with regard to Section 4.1 and 5.5, Illinois law required the Superior Court to consider the contract as a whole and not focus on the sections as isolated provisions. [17] Section 4.1 of the PLA explicitly precludes Citizen from licensing its rights to the Mullin and Lin Patents to Amkor. If an assignment to Amkor is allowed by Section 5.5, however, Motorola argues that such an assignment will render the restrictions of Section 4.1 meaningless. [18] Motorola argues that it intended to preclude current BGA licensees, such as Amkor, from obtaining royalty-free use of the BGA Package patents from Citizen. Section 4.1 of the PLA expressly prohibits Citizen from contracting for a license with current BGA licensees of Motorola. It is undisputed that Amkor was a current BGA licensee. Amkor concedes that Section 4.1 creates a bar to its agreement with Citizen. Nevertheless, Amkor argues that Section 5.5 of the PLA creates a specific exception to the prohibition in Section 4.1. In support of this argument, Amkor points to the language of Section 5.5, which allows assignment of the BGA Package patents without the express written consent of Motorola if the acquiring party succeeds in ownership in all or substantially all of the assets of the assigning party relating to the business unit employing the patents licensed hereunder. . . . [19] Accordingly, Amkor contends that the PLA restricts Citizen from sublicensing the technology for profit, but allows assignment of all of Citizen's rights that would be occasioned by a sale of all or substantially all of its relevant business unit assets. [20]