Seagate: If Flash Drives Get Too Cheap, We'll Use Patents To Make Them Expensive
from the just-as-Thomas-Jefferson-intended dept
Back in 2005, we pointed out that Seagate's CEO, Bill Watkins, should be worried about the future of flash solid state drives (SSDs) eventually replacing hard drives. It's taken some time, but those SSDs are starting to show up in laptops like the MacBook Air and the Lenovo Thinkpad x300. Reader Nick Burns points out that Watkins appears to be singing the same old tune, with one slight adjustment. For the most part he's doing the "nothing to see here, flash drives are still too expensive" song and dance -- but people who understand the inevitable march of technology (and how the innovator's dilemma works) are finally pointing out flash is getting much cheaper very, very quickly. So what's Watkin's response? If SSDs get really cheap, he'll just sue everyone for patent infringement. Yes, even though SSDs are totally different technology than a standard hard drive, Seagate's holding on to patents that cover "many of the ways a storage device communicates with a computer." So, if solid state drives suddenly get popular, Watkins plans to sue. In other words, he'll use patents to stop the competition of a totally different technology. It's the same old story. When you're losing in the marketplace, sue for patent infringement. If you want to know the point at which Seagate has realized it's lost the battle, just look for when the infringement lawsuits come out. Just as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison envisioned.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: bill watkins, flash drives, hard drives, patents, solid state
Companies: seagate
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Seagate still exists?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Seagate still exists?
I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the manufacturers filing for declaratory judgments to ensure any possible lawsuit stays out of Marshall (or the ITC).
This is the epitome of backwards thinking..."well, if anyone starts doing it better than us, we'll just sue." Yet another reason I don't buy Seagate hard drives...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Seagate still exists?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Seagate still exists?
I've had so many issues with WD hard drives I won't even consider them. But my Seagates have always gone strong.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Seagate still exists?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Seagate still exists?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Seagate still exists?
FIXED.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Totally different?
>than a standard hard drive, Seagate's holding on to
>patents that cover "many of the ways a storage device
>communicates with a computer."
First off, this definately sounds like an abuse of the patent system, but...even though the storage technologies are different, this doesn't necessarily mean that Seagate's "communicates with the computer" technology isn't legitimately patented. It sounds like this kind of harddrive-to-computer interface tech is part of the standard architecture that all harddrives manufacturers use, but just by reading the post, there's nothing to indicates that Seagate doesn't have a legitimate claim in this area. Yes, the storage is "totally different", but is the interface?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Totally different?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Totally different?
Perhaps. But that's my point; based on the post, we don't know if they're talking about SATA or some other interface technology. Seagate are apparently saying that they have a patent on the technology that allows a storage device to communicate with the computer. Instead of pointing out the patent in question, the focus of the post seems to be the difference between the types of storage device, which appears to be irrelevant to Seagate's patent claim.
Now, if I knew what the patent was, I might be able to judge whether it passes the "moron in a hurry test", but even if I am sceptical that they really have a valid claim, without knowing what the patent is, I don't think it's fair to judge Seagate.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Totally different?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Totally different?
Besides... Who cares what the interface is. It would be trivial for someone to come up with another interface spec... We've been through this before, people... MFM, RLL, ESDI, SCSI, SCSI-II, FC, ATA, SATA, eSATA, iSCSI... If that's Seagate's trump card, then I consider that a last gasp of a sinking ship.. More likely, they'll join the trend, and try to make them cheaper.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
What does the patent cover?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Or maybe no..
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Speed isn't as good as SATA but then, SATA speeds are more theory than practical.
Last solution; direct attached storage; straight off the PCI bus with a BIOS implemented PATA emulation.
I don't think that the SSD vendors are worried in the least - they're far ahead; Seagate should be inovating and emulating instead!
MPT
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
What about BitMicro
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Patent Infringement...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Business technique?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
What's wrong?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Screw you segate
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
cheapest online patent service
http://www.cheaponlinepatents.com
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
Um, this post was written in March of 2008, when Watkins was absolutely CEO of Seagate. It's true that he's no longer CEO, but I'm not sure why you're telling us we're wrong on a post that you just found a year and a half late.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Lawyers are the only ones who win
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Why?
Can't they get their brilliant engineers to make their own version of SSD's to sell? I'm sure they'd do well. SSD's have a few years to get to HDD capacity and price, more than ample enough time. No need for this patent threatening nonsense.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]