• hperrin
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    4 hours ago

    Well, kind of 3 companies.

    Intel and AMD both have rights to x86_64, since they both held patents used by it. In 2021, AMD’s patents expired.

    Then there’s ARM, which is solely owned by Arm Holdings.

    But yes, it’s still very much a big problem, and I really hope RISC-V succeeds to solve that problem. Licensing core designs is a much better motive and business model than licensing an entire ISA.

    Edit: oh wait, you said two architectures, not two companies. Never mind, you’re right. :)