Western Digital Owes $315.7 Million for Infringing Data Security Patent
Data storage provider Western Digital must pay $315.7 million in damages for violating a patent owner's rights in data security technology, a jury in California federal court said.
Data storage provider Western Digital must pay $315.7 million in damages for violating a patent owner's rights in data security technology, a jury in California federal court said on Friday.
The jury determined that several Western Digital self-encrypting hard drive products infringe a SPEX Technologies patent covering data encryption innovations, a SPEX attorney said in an email.
San Jose, California-based SPEX sued Western Digital in 2016. SPEX said it bought the patent at issue from Spyrus, a cryptography company that developed the technology for encrypting sensitive communications.
Spyrus co-founder Sue Pontius said she was grateful to the jury for the verdict. SPEX's lead attorney, Marc Fenster, said the verdict was "a vindication of Sue Pontius and her perseverance."
A Western Digital spokesperson said the company disagrees with the verdict and plans to challenge it in post-trial motions and an appeal if necessary.