Western Digital Ordered to Pay $315.7 Million for Patent Infringement

Western Digital Ordered to Pay $315.7 Million for Patent Infringement

Meta Description: A California jury ruled that Western Digital infringed a SPEX Technologies patent on data security technology, resulting in a $315.7 million damages award.

Overview of the Verdict

Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC) has been ordered to pay $315.7 million in damages for infringing on a patent related to data security technology. This decision came from a jury in a California federal court on Friday.

Details of the Case

The jury found that multiple self-encrypting hard drive products from Western Digital violated a patent owned by SPEX Technologies. SPEX's attorney indicated that this patent covers key innovations in data encryption.

The lawsuit originated in 2016 when SPEX, based in San Jose, California, filed against Western Digital after acquiring the patent from Spyrus, a company known for its advancements in cryptography. Sue Pontius, a co-founder of Spyrus, expressed gratitude for the jury's decision, while SPEX's lead attorney, Marc Fenster, hailed the verdict as a validation of Pontius's dedication to the case.

Western Digital's Response

In a statement, Western Digital expressed disagreement with the jury's findings, indicating plans to pursue post-trial motions and possibly an appeal.

The lawsuit identified specific Western Digital products, including the Ultrastar, My Book, and My Passport, as infringing on SPEX's patent. Western Digital has denied these allegations, asserting its commitment to intellectual property rights.

Previous Infringement Case

This ruling follows another case in July, where a different jury ordered Western Digital to pay over $262 million to another company for patent infringements regarding hard drive storage capacity enhancements.