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LOS ALTOS, Calif. (Dow Jones)--Rambus Inc. (RMBS) said it recently obtained a "potentially significant" discovery ruling in its favor, regarding joint defense efforts by Dynamic Random Access Memory manufacturers.

In a press release Tuesday, the technology licensing company said it received a ruling ordering, among other things that it be provided with a joint defense agreement purportedly entered into by several semiconductor companies, including three DRAM manufacturers -- Hynix Semiconductor Inc. (000660.SE), Infineon Technologies AG (IFX) and Micron Technology Inc. (MU) -- in August 2000.

The order also required production of a document that allegedly establishes what appears to have been a secret organization among DRAM manufacturers.

Last week's ruling arose in DRAM patent litigation between Hynix and Rambus, which is now pending in the U.S. District Court of Northern California and is set for the first stage of trial on April 11.

In the latest ruling, which may be subject to further review, the judge denied claims of privilege that Hynix asserted in the purported joint defense agreement. The court also raised questions about Hynix's refusal to produce numerous other documents it asserted were protected from production under a joint defense privilege.

Rambus said the documents apparently include communications between Hynix and its competitors regarding Rambus and its patents. The court has given Hynix two weeks to further substantiate its privilege claims or to disclose these documents to Rambus.