Flash memory maker SanDisk Corp. came out swinging this week against a host of companies it claims have infringed its technology patents.

The Milpitas, Calif.-based company on Wednesday announced the filing of three patent infringement actions against 25 companies that manufacture, sell and import USB flash drives, compact flash cards, multimedia cards, MP3/media players and/or other removable flash storage products.

The actions, filed in the United States District Court in the Western District of Wisconsin and with the United States International Trade Commission (ITC), allege that the defendants have infringed various SanDisk system-level patents, and seek damages and a permanent injunction in the federal court actions, as well as a permanent exclusion order from the ITC banning importation of the products into the United States.
 
In the ITC action, SanDisk is suing numerous companies for the alleged infringement of five SanDisk patents, including: ACP-EP Memory; A-Data; Apacer; Behavior Computer (d/b/a Emprex); Buffalo; Chipsbank; Corsair Memory; Dane-Elec;  Edge; Imation/Memorex; Interactive Media (d/b/aKanguru); Kaser; Kingston; LG Electronics; Phison Electronics; PNY; PQI; Silicon Motion; Skymedi; Transcend; TSR (d/b/a T.One); USBest; Verbatim; Welldone Company; and Zotek/Zodata (d/b/a Huke).

In the first Wisconsin District Court case, SanDisk is suing over the alleged infringement of the five patents also at issue in the ITC complaint, including all of the above named companies except Kaser.
 
And in the second Wisconsin District Court case, SanDisk is suing ACP-EP Memory; A-Data; Apacer; Behavior Computer (d/b/a Emprex); Buffalo; Dane-Elec; Kingston; Phison Electronics; PQI; PNY; Skymedi; Silicon Motion; Transcend; USBest; Verbatim; and Zotek/Zodata (d/b/a Huke) for alleged infringement of an additional two patents that are not involved in the ITC action or the first Wisconsin District Court case. 

"These actions demonstrate SanDisk's long-term commitment to enforcing its patents, both to protect our investment in research and development by obtaining a fair return on that investment, and out of fairness to third-parties that participate in our patent licensing program," E. Earle Thompson, chief intellectual property counsel at SanDisk, said in a statement. "Our goal is to resolve these matters by offering the defendants the opportunity to participate in our patent licensing program for card and system technology. Otherwise, we will aggressively pursue these actions, seeking a prompt judicial resolution awarding damages, obtaining injunctive relief and banning importation of infringing product."

This is by no means SanDisk's first legal tussle over patent rights.  Several years ago, the company was involved in a months-long case against against STMicroelectronics Inc., asserting that the European chipmaker had infringed several SanDisk patents.

By: DocMemory
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