Asustek Computer, a leading supplier of various computer components as well as notebooks, on Monday accused IBM of patent infringement. The legal action of Asustek follows IBM’s filing of patent infringement lawsuit against Taiwan-based company in late 2007.
“We sued IBM for its infringing two of our patents related to storage on the Internet and server technology,” said an Asustek spokesman who declined to give more details in an interview with Agency France Press.
Back in December last year IBM filed a complaint against Asustek Computer and its subsidiary in North America with the United States International Trade Commission. In particular, IBM alleged that certain products by Asustek infringe its patents that cover PC power supply (U.S. Patent No. 5,008,829), automatic fan speed control (5,249,741) as well as a method and hardware that make a cluster of computers appear as a single host on network (5,371,852). If the first two patents may be infringed by Asustek’s notebook computers, barebone systems, servers as well as system components, then the third one is may be infringed by Asus network equipment and servers.
Asustek Computer earlier this year denied infringements of IBM’s patents and said it would cooperate with ITC to prove that it is innocent and has not used intellectual propety of IBM.
IBM demanded to ban sales of Asus products in the USA, whereas demands of Asustek Computer were not clear at press time.