Rembrandt IP Management Vs. Seagate and WD

Rembrandt IP Management announced that its affiliate, Rembrandt Data Storage, has filed patent infringement suits against defendants Seagate Technology and Western Digital in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.

The defendants are manufacturers and suppliers of computer hard drives that are at the heart of widely adopted digital consumer electronics, such as personal computers, laptops, and digital video recorders (DVRs). The complaints assert that the unlicensed patents in question are utilized in most of the drives the defendants produce.

The patents in question, US Patent 5,995,342C1 and US Patent 6,195,232, were acquired from Silicon Valley-based scientist Uri Cohen, who was a co-inventor along with Dennis Hollars. The patents set forth breakthrough inventions allowing data to be written at higher speeds and more densely, and paved the way for the high-capacity drives prevalent in today’s marketplace.

                  US 5,995,342 C1 (7236th) Patent
               Thin Film Heads Having Solenoid Coils

"The use of Dr. Cohen’s inventions without compensation serves as a disincentive to inventors," said Dr. Paul Schneck, Rembrandt’s Chairman. "The rich legacy of US innovation is based on the financial returns to inventors made possible through the patent system. This must be protected, and we are working to obtain long-overdue compensation and recognition for his achievements."

Uri Cohen immigrated to the US, and attended Stanford University, as a Fulbright Scholar, where he obtained his PhD. He hoped to share in the American dream by publishing and licensing his inventions. With knowledge that his inventions were being used without a license, Cohen approached Rembrandt who agreed to assist him in obtaining restitution for the widespread unauthorized use of his breakthrough inventions.

"Rembrandt prides itself on assisting inventors and patent owners in realizing the full potential of their inventions and helping them receive compensation for their work," commented Dr. Schneck. "The use of unlicensed patents in products, regardless of their form or function, should never be permissible and we hope this suit will make that message clear."