Reduction of Western Digital's $500 million patent infringement penalty to a token $1, court notes insufficient evidence of specific damages.
Western Digital Score Big-Time in Legal Battle Against SPEX, Walking Away with a Symbolic $1
It seems Western Digital (WD) has managed to spin a legal victory in its favor, following a court battle with SPEX Technologies. The initial jury verdict, back in October 2023, found WD guilty of infringing SPEX's data encryption patent on several self-encrypting hard drive products. The jury awarded an hefty $316 million in damages, which was subsequently increased to $553 million when interest was included. However, the judges weren't quite convinced, slashing the award down to a mere dollar.
In a turn of events, U.S. District Judge James Selna expressed dissatisfaction with the plaintiff's inability to substantiate the dollar amount tied to the alleged infringements. The court found that SPEX's claims had evolved substantially throughout the litigation, and it became impossible to tie a definitive dollar amount to the patent infringements, as evidenced by the exclusion of the plaintiff's expert analysis[1][2][3].
As a result, Western Digital walked away with a paltry $1, in what can only be considered an extraordinary twist of fate. Although the company was held liable for infringement on its Ultrastar, My Book, and My Passport line of storage drives, this judgment can be seen as a significant win for the storage giant[1][2][3].
However, it appears that Western Digital's taste of legal victory may have been premature, as the company is still embroiled in another court case with a potential multimillion-dollar payout at stake. A German scientist was awarded $262 million in August 2024 for Western Digital's use of HDD recording technologies that reportedly increased drive density by up to three times. With the case currently on appeal, the final outcome remains to be seen[1][2][3].
So, keep an eye on Western Digital’s legal shenanigans; things are heating up, and with high stakes involved, the drama promises to continue! Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to stay updated on the latest developments.
Staying in the Know: Get the Tom's Hardware Newsletter – straight to your inbox, bringing you the latest news, in-depth reviews, and more!
Despite winning a symbolic $1 in a court battle against SPEX Technologies, Western Digital still faces a potential multimillion-dollar payout in another legal case involving HDD recording technologies. The finance sector will closely monitor these ongoing legal proceedings in the industry.
