Seagate takes Cornice patent complaint to ITC
By Martyn Williams
IDG News Service, Tokyo Bureau
05-07-2004
Seagate Technology LLC is expanding its battle against fellow hard-disk drive maker Cornice Inc. by taking its patent infringement claims to the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), the company said Friday.
In its latest complaint, Seagate is asking the ITC to block import to the U.S. of any products containing Cornice hard-disk drives, said Woody Monroy, a spokesman for Seagate.
A spokeswoman for Cornice declined to comment.
In June Seagate filed a patent infringement suit against Cornice in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. That filing asked the court to prevent Cornice from selling its drives in the U.S., as well as for unspecified monetary damages, Seagate said.
Cornice makes 1-inch hard-disk drives branded "Storage Element" that are used in a number of portable electronics devices including MP3 players from Japan's Sony Corp., which uses them in its Aiwa-brand players; Digital Networks North America, which uses them for its Rio-brand audio products, and South Korea's iRiver Co. Ltd. and Digitalway Co. Ltd.
Earlier this week Western Digital Corp. said it has also filed a patent infringement suit against Cornice.
