SanDisk sues a score of flash storage vendors
SanDisk is suing 25 companies for infringing on its patents on removable flash storage devices.
The flash memory maker filed a suit with a U.S. District Court in Wisconsin and another with the U.S. International Trade Commission Wednesday evening, seeking damages, a permanent injunction and an order from the ITC banning the importation of the products.
SanDisk is suing other memory vendors that make products like this CompactFlash card.
(Credit: SanDisk)The roll call of the companies is a long one, but here goes: ACP-EP Memory, A-Data, Apacer, Behavior Computer, Buffalo, Chipsbank, Corsair Memory, Dane-Elec, Edge, Imation/Memorex, Interactive Media, Kaser, Kingston, LG Electronics, Phison Electronics, PNY, PQI, Silicon Motion, Skymedi, Transcend, TSR, USBest, Verbatim, Welldone Company and Zotek/Zodata.
SanDisk says it's just enforcing its patents to be "fair" to the companies that already license its technology for flash storage devices. "Our goal is to resolve these matters by offering the defendants the opportunity to participate in our patent licensing program," said E. Earle Thompson, SanDisk's chief intellectual property counsel, in a statement. If the 25 companies don't get on board and pay SanDisk to license the patents in question, Thompson promises to "aggressively pursue" legal damages and a ban on the importation of the named companies' products.
Erica Ogg is a CNET News reporter who covers Apple, HP, Dell, and other PC makers, as well as the consumer electronics industry. She's also one of the hosts of CNET News' Daily Podcast. In her non-work life, she's a history geek, a loyal Dodgers fan, and a mac-and-cheese connoisseur. E-mail Erica. 
- Just a question
- by Anysia October 25, 2007 9:34 PM PDT
- Did Seagate sue Western Digital,Fujitsu, Maxtor, or Hitachi for making and selling hard drives?
- Like this Reply to this comment
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- ...another third rate company making......
- by aaydogan October 26, 2007 2:43 AM PDT
- second rate products and trying to make money through litigation
- Like this View reply
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(3 Comments)I don't know about them being the first makers of compact flash, as over the years I have gotten them, they have been Panasonic, or Kingston. There were no SanDisk until very recently around my location.
Instead of suing to make more money, how about just making good product that will keep people coming back? As things stand, I will stick with Kingston.
Funny thing, I don't see Panasonic or Kodak listed, and they also manufacture and sell compact flash and sd cards.
instead of innovation.