Except that Lexra didn't implement unaligned loads at all. According to the post, MIPS considered the mere possibility that you could handle unaligned loads thr

Except that Lexra didn't implement unaligned loads at all. According to the post, MIPS considered the mere possibility that you could handle unaligned loads through an OS-level trap that emulated the load - not even in microcode - to infringe their patent and managed to shake up several of Lexra's customers that way. (This is another flaw of patent law. In order for something to count as prior art it has to be identical to the claimed technology, but the same requirement doesn't apply to infringement claims.)