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[QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 46383, member: 636"]
Western Digital faced a patent lawsuit that began in 2016. SPEX Technologies accused the company of stealing ideas for data encryption technology. The case centered on patent US6088802A and affected products like the Ultrastar He10 hard drive and My Book external drives. SPEX claimed Western Digital used their protected technology without permission. The legal battle continued for years through the court system.

A California court made its first decision in late 2024. Judges ordered Western Digital to pay $316 million to SPEX Technologies. Courts added another $237 million in interest charges during early 2025. The total penalty reached $553 million for the storage device maker. Western Digital appealed the massive fine through their lawyers.

The case took a dramatic turn during mid-2025. Courts reduced the entire penalty amount to just one dollar. Judges found that SPEX lacked proper evidence to calculate fair royalty payments. The company could not prove how much money Western Digital should pay. This decision followed a similar case between Adobe Systems and TecSec.

Western Digital lawyers successfully attacked SPEX's damage calculations. They proved the opposing legal team used weak evidence from their expert witness. Courts issued their final ruling on June 16, 2025. SPEX received limited time to file additional legal responses. The company has not revealed any future plans for the case.
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