MediaTek says will defend itself in accusation over patent 'bounty' agreement

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's top chip design company MediaTek Inc said on Thursday it will defend itself in court against accusations from Realtek that it paid a company that sues over patents a "secret litigation bounty" to file meritless lawsuits.

Realtek Semiconductor Corp's lawsuit, lodged in California, accuses MediaTek of conspiring with IPValue Management Inc in an effort to drive Realtek out of the market and monopolise the industry for chips used in smart televisions and set-top boxes.

In a statement to the Taiwan stock exchange, MediaTek said the case was in the process of being litigated and it will submit evidence and defend itself against the accusations.

It added that the litigation has no significant impact on the company.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Christopher Cushing)