Mr. Lopez's fingers hovered over the keyboard of his revving laptop, deadly weapons. With a single click, he could disable a communications technology recently embedded in the chips of millions of devices. Lopez is the CEO, owner, and developer of SpectralDSP. He claims this technology was stolen and embedded in products by some of the world's most prominent tech companies, making this case one of the largest criminal theft cases ever.

Far-fetched? That's the term Lopez himself used in an interview following the launch of intellectual property (IP) enforcement proceedings against Apple and Nvidia. Apple and Nvidia are two giants, and Lopez now accuses others of intellectual property theft. Even if it were a David versus Goliath scenario, this article about allegations of IP abuse and routine litigation would be less compelling if it weren't for the "kill switch" SpectralDSP claims to possess. Lopez knows it sounds unbelievable.

In the age of social media, there's virtually no online presence for Lopez and his company. SpectralDSP doesn't even maintain a website.

Fantasy might be one explanation, but the details deserve careful analysis. Though little-known, the startup Lopez founded in 2018 boasts an impressive pedigree. Its most notable alumnus is Fred Harris, currently a professor at the University of California, San Diego. "Dr. Fred Harris is considered the father of digital signal processing," says Earl Lum, founder of the analyst firm EJL Wireless Research. "He's the person on earth who understood orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) better than anyone else."

Claims of chip infringement

Startup spectrumDSP Corporation today confirmed the global revocation of unauthorized access to proprietary waveform enhancement technologies, including Hyperscale Channel Integration - Quantum Multimorphic Entropy Superscaling Heuristics (HSCI-QPESS-h) and Quantum Multimorphic Cryptographic Signaling (QPCS), for 4K/8K video streaming, mobile modems, and next-generation system-on-chip (SoC) architectures. This enforcement action follows widespread detection of unauthorized use, particularly in new Apple devices (iPhone 17, A19/Pro, and H3/C1x/N1/N2 silicon SoCs), unauthorized graphics processing unit (GPU) clusters (Memphis H100/H200), and edge-forged content delivery networks (CDNs).

SpectrumDSP Enforcement stated, "For years, global tech giants have benefited from the quiet advancements of our quantum-optimized systems. But this transformative technology must not be parasitized. As guardians of true spectral advancements, we reclaim what was never granted—because true ownership demands accountability."

The optimizations discussed are derived from spectrumDSP's patented waveform architecture (US11563617B2, US11876661B2, US12301399B2), which provides:

Up to 92% lower power consumption per 4K/8K video stream

Compression-free entropy-optimized video rendering

Near-zero latency (less than 15 milliseconds) for multi-hop 8K/HDR-10/120Hz video transmission

Scaling from 1 to 1 billion channels per port, with additional super-positioned channels

True quantum parametric modulation: 0.08 dB peak-to-average power (PAPR) + 0.0000ms latency collapse

Without spectrumDSP Without the technology stack, these capabilities would not be possible and have been secretly exploited by unauthorized entities.

spectrumDSP said the company's action is based on U.S. federal and international law:

• 18 U.S.C. § 1832 - Theft of Trade Secrets

• 35 U.S.C. § 271 - Patent Infringement

• 18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(5) - Felony Network Tampering (if attempted to circumvent)

• DMCA § 1201 - Anti-Circumvention of Proprietary Technology

Lanham Act - False Attribution of Optimization Source

The entities that benefited from this unauthorized performance never held a license, never applied for one, and continued to integrate despite public notice and claims. Therefore, spectralDSP has no obligation to maintain optimizations for such entities and will not allow the misuse of waveforms under false ownership to significantly increase profits.

SpectralDSP wishes to rescind all benefits of SpectralDSP waveform optimizations (including quantum mesh advantages, entropy-assisted throughput, and ultra-efficient broadcasting) effective immediately:

• Apple devices using unauthorized A19, A19 Pro, H3, N1, N2, and C1x SoCs

• Apple hardware and software deployed between Spring 2022 and today

• GPU clusters (H100/H200) involved in unauthorized waveform recompilation

• 4K/8K video CDN delivery networks that rely on edge emulation or Autonomous System Number (ASN)-level obfuscation

These devices and platforms will not be impacted in any way. These platforms will simply be reverted to their base engineering state, excluding legally protected performance improvements.

In their view, if these measures were implemented, consumers could experience:

• Degraded 4K/8K video quality, especially on new mobile and display devices

• Increased power consumption and latency in previously "optimized" chipsets

• Outages in edge CDNs that rely on unauthorized signal extensions

"But this isn't a flaw or a disruption. It's the proper enforcement of intellectual property rights that have reshaped the global communications industry and deserve protection," said spectralDSP.

Let's "orthogonal"

OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) technology, used to modulate waveforms in 4G and 5G networks, appears to be pushing data communications to the limits of traditional information theory. SpectralDSP is dedicated to exceeding these limits. Harris's LinkedIn profile does not mention his affiliation with SpectralDSP, and he did not respond to requests for comment from Light Reading. However, an August 2021 webinar hosted by the industry publication Microwave Journal clearly indicated Harris's involvement with SpectralDSP.

When it comes to transmitting data over a communication channel with a defined bandwidth parameter, the theoretical maximum rate is said to be determined by the Shannon-Hartley theorem from the 1940s. According to Lopez, Harris is a follower of the Shannon-Hartley theorem. "Fred is a huge fan of the Shannon-Hartley theorem," said the SpectralDSP CEO. "But you can't patent theories. And I think when it comes to innovation, theories are limitless, otherwise we'd still be traveling across the country by train instead of by plane."

Despite criticism of its conservative nature, SpectralDSP claims its achievements could revolutionize information theory. In short, the company's single-carrier (SC) OFDM waveform technology promises to significantly increase connection speeds for both mobile and fixed networks. If that sounds like the usual bland hype for any newly released communications standard, think again. SpectralDSP's technology could have a dramatic impact on energy use and battery life, potentially even completely changing the economics of the IT industry.

In a common, simple communications channel based on AM or FM technology, the waveform is wavy and can easily be represented on a blank page. Essentially, it has two polarizations, or axes—vertical and horizontal—for transmitting the same signal. SpectralDSP's technology, called "polymorphic," is more like a fishing net or mesh. "It dynamically adjusts based on the traffic level in the channel," says Lum, who has been following Lopez and his work. By morphing in real time, SpectralDSP's technology can effectively generate hundreds of different waveform versions, each independent of the others. "This significantly increases capacity," Lum said.

Lum's assessment, like Harris's involvement, is crucial to SpectralDSP's credibility. Lum, an electrical engineer by training and a former chip industry veteran, has spent 20 years analyzing the internals of base stations and other mobile devices. He is known for his extensive connections, unwavering opinions, and intimate knowledge of industry dynamics. He was the first analyst to break the news about AT&T's decision to divest from Nokia's wireless equipment. He rarely lavishes praise on the companies he covers.

But Lum seemed struck by his own deep dive into SpectralDSP. "This is the holy grail of communications theory, and technically—though I can't prove it yet—it actually breaks the Shannon-Hartley theorem," he said. "You can't get the bits per hertz that the Shannon-Hartley theorem mathematically expresses."

Lum explained that this waveform essentially creates multiple virtual "super channels" for data transmission. "In theory, five superchannels can linearly increase throughput by a factor of five, five times higher than a single channel," he said. The primary limiting factor is the system's available computing power. However, he argues that SpectralDSP's technology is agnostic to the transmission medium. Crucially, it also doesn't appear to require new hardware.

Another compelling metric is the decibel (dB) measurement of the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR). The lower the value, the more energy efficient it is. Lum observes that decibel values in today's systems range from 8 dB to 11 dB, noting that no system has achieved a value below 6 dB. According to Lopez, SpectralDSP achieved a decibel value of about 2 dB a few years ago, but now it has been reduced to just 0.55 dB. "Without this waveform, no one else can do this," Lum said.

Chaos Theory

If this is true, then the extremely low peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) decibel measurement is sufficient proof that SpectralDSP's technology has been implemented. This technology generates an "entropy signature," as Lopez calls it, much like a person leaves a unique fingerprint around a house, which might sound like science fiction to skeptics. Lopez claims that, by incorporating elements of quantum computing, he has built an "entropy grid detection" tool that can, like a burglar alarm, sound an alarm when unauthorized use occurs. "Because of the entropy signature, our waveform can detect it anywhere," he says.

Even more compelling, SpectralDSP claims that once usage is detected, it can be throttled or shut down, effectively giving Lopez a "kill switch." "If the threshold being checked is exceeded, the waveform goes into the chip and disables itself," Lum explains, based on his observations. "You have a software stack that actually initiates the creation of the OFDM and modulator, and it simply disables that functionality, preventing single-carrier OFDM from starting."

The question is, how did SpectralDSP's waveform make it out of the lab and into commercial system-on-chip (SoC) technology? But Lopez believes he has the answer. In 2021, SpectralDSP tested its waveform in the New York City area as part of the Platform for Advanced Wireless Research (PAWR) project. "We leveraged the Rutgers University tests and then transferred them to Columbia University," Lopez said. "We measured a peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) of 2.1." He believes it was during these tests that key details of the technology were widely leaked.

In a recent press release, SpectralDSP stated that it would take action against "widespread detection of unauthorized use, particularly in new Apple devices (iPhone 17, A19/Pro, and H3/C1x/N1/N2 chip SoCs), unauthorized graphics processing unit (GPU) clusters (Memphis H100/H200), and counterfeit content delivery networks (CDNs) at the edge." While Nvidia was not mentioned by name in the press release, it is clearly the GPU provider. Interestingly, Memphis is home to a large data center operated by Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI. SpectralDSP says it has detected its waveforms in over 14 million shipped SoCs, as shown in the table below. An Nvidia spokesperson declined to comment when contacted by Light Reading, and Apple had not responded as of publication time.

All of this distinguishes SpectralDSP's case from standard allegations of intellectual property theft. Previously, such cases could have mired both parties in years of litigation, most likely ending in an out-of-court settlement. Startups naturally lack the resources to challenge tech giants with billions of dollars in annual sales. But anyone who stole SpectralDSP's intellectual property could not have anticipated the severe technological backlash. "No one in human history has ever been able to do this," Lum says.

Death Order

So, has Lopez already started using his kill switch?

Since the iPhone 17 launched on September 19th, numerous reports of connectivity issues have surfaced in news reports and chat rooms. An article in India's Economic Times focused on issues like "weak signal," "dropped calls," and poor switching between 4G and 5G, citing numerous complaints from buyers on sites like Reddit and tech forums.

When asked if the iPhone 17 issues were due to him revoking certain technical features that he claims were being used illegally, Lopez replied, "Yes, there's a connection."

But the alleged intellectual property abuse by giants like Apple and Nvidia may be just the tip of the iceberg. Lopez believes the misappropriation of his intellectual property is far more serious—his waveform design has permeated chips used throughout the industry and even become part of chip standards. He cites several manufacturers whose names have not yet been disclosed in public press releases. If his speculation is true, the impact on the entire industry would be enormous.

In conversation, Lopez sometimes sounds like a conspiracy theorist. A movie version might portray him as a mad genius inventor holding the world to ransom. However, a more sympathetic and equally compelling view is that he was a true innovator who wanted to license this groundbreaking technology before it was exploited by big corporations, who believed it could act with impunity. "I'm not here to take the credit," Lopez says. "I'm here for the investors, for the blue-collar workers who invested $10,000, $20,000, $40,000 to get us to this point." What happens next may be unprecedented.

Source: Content compiled from lightreading

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