Some weird things are going on with DDR memory. Both Hitachi and Toshiba have licensed technology from RAMBUS that they have been already using to create SDRAM. According to press releases, these settlements have Hitachi and Toshiba paying royalties for not only RDRAM modules but DDR SDRAM as well, and the SDR and DDR royalties are higher than the RDRAM royalties. Other major memory makers are likely in talks with Rambus so it looks like Rambus will profit from DDR's success as well as RDRAM's success. We did also manage to get a quote from a Rambus representative regarding these talks with other companies:

"...we [Rambus] are currently in discussions with companies regarding the licensing of Rambus IP for non-Rambus compatible uses such as those in SDRAM, DDR SDRAM and/or DDR FCRAM memory and/or controllers which directly interface with these types of memory."

To say it poetically, Rambus might have the entire memory industry by the happy sacks.

But they might not. Toshiba is making the RDRAM for Sony's PlayStation2, so they're very chummy with Rambus. Hitachi has been a massive supporter of RDRAM from the get go. Notice how neither Hitachi or Toshiba were listed as showing up at VIA's DDR conference? And neither company was at Platform 2000, a DDR camp stronghold. So while Rambus can get an agreement out of Toshiba and Hitachi, their memory buddies, it still is not clear whether or not they can get an agreement out of other memory companies. But if they can, by hook or by crook, they own the memory market.