HOT OFF THE PRESSES!

Oct. 12, 2007 - ITC Investigation Could Ban Hard Disk Drive Imports to U.S. (and products that contain them)! (http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Details.aspx?NewsId=21612)

NOT-SO-HOT OFF THE PRESSES!

Apr. 9, 2007 - Toshiba Files Suit to Stop 17 Companies From Importing DVD Technology (http://www.rtoonline.com/content/Article/Apr07/ToshibaLawsuit040907.asp)
17 companies mostly Asian but may be manufacturers or importers for some of our name brands???

:confused: :( :mad:

Makes no sense - hard drives were not around in 1930, so what patents could possibly apply? 1930 patents expired long ago anyway. And why now, since HDDs have been imported for years. Sounds like someone is suing hoping to settle - I don't see the plaintiffs (who the hell are they anyway) prevailing.

1930 is the year of the Tariff Act that's cited.

This must explain why the channel has been completely empty of Seagate's newer SATA-300 drives. All of the sudden, the drives I integrate constantly were just gone. This has been extremely frustrating.

Why does Toshiba not want these imported?

Funny we were just discussing this and I was wondering if I ought to buy one before they all disappear.:eek:

HDDs incorporate a lot of technology innovations - it's a very competitive market. Somebody is always suing somebody else over some alleged patent infringement, which is that the October story is about.

The Toshiba story is about preventing certain fly-by-night Chinese manufacturers who do not have a license to use DVD patents from importing their unlicensed products.

Move along, nothing to see here...