News Post - Swiftech? today announced the withdrawal from US sales of the H220

[Buckeye]

I thought I would post this here also and some might not check news section and its really WC related.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...es-of-the-H220

This is very sad and I hope Gabe & Swiftech can recover from this.
I thought I saw some place that they had a triple rad unit coming out soon.

http://www.swiftech.com/pr-7-19-13-h...vedfromus.aspx

I am not sure what products Asetek has that is like the H220 unless you consider the usual AIO water cooling units that are out there.
At least we have this one still or will it be pulled also ?

http://www.swiftech.com/H2O-x20-Edge-HD.aspx

Press Release, for Immediate Release

Long Beach, CA July 19th, 2013 11:45 PST- Rouchon Industries Inc., d/b/a/ Swiftech? today announced the withdrawal from US sales of the H220 CPU cooling kit.

On June 7 2013, Rouchon Industries Inc., d/b/a/ Swiftech? received a letter from Asetek? s lawyers claiming that the H220 CPU cooler infringes on their US patents 8,240,362 (the ?362 patent) and 8,245,764 (the ?764 patent) and to cease selling, offering for sale and importing the H220 CPU cooler in the United States. Pending final disposition of this matter, Swiftech? immediately placed a hold on shipments of the H220 CPU cooling kits into the USA.

On June 27, 2013 Swiftech?s counsel responded to Asetek? s attorney by a letter stating that preliminarily, Swiftech? does not believe that the H220 product infringes any valid claim of the ?362 and ?764 patents. Nonetheless, in an effort to avoid any unnecessary litigation Swiftech? also asked whether Asetek would be willing to offer a nonexclusive license for the asserted patents.

On July 12, 2013 Swiftech? received a response from Asetek? s law firm stating that the company does not offer licenses.

Swiftech? continues to firmly assert its position with regards to the alleged infringement as stated in its letter dated June 27, 2013. Nevertheless, in order to avoid litigation the company?s management has now made the business decision to withdraw the H220 CPU cooler from the US market.

Given these circumstances, Swiftech? wants to hereby reassure its US customers that: 1/ it will continue to provide full technical and warranty support for the H220 CPU cooling kits that have been sold in the US, and 2/ the product will continue to be sold in other countries.

Swiftech? sincerely apologizes to its US customers for this extraordinary situation, the very first in its long history. For the past 15 years, Swiftech? has been at the forefront of technological innovation in this industry, and it will continue to do so. In the words of Gabriel Rouchon, the company?s Chairman and CTA: ?I want our customers to know and expect with absolute confidence that Swiftech?s resourcefulness will once again be brilliantly demonstrated in the immediate future?.

[bundymania]

That is sad and i hope swiftech will find a way to solve this issue.

[Church]

I wonder if swiftech can hack around patents it via eg. shipping it for US market unfilled with coolant in separate bottle and instruction how to fill/deaerate loop. Or even with tubing precut but not assembled, if patents are even broader then i think.
But damn, so true, when innovation ends ligitation starts. Those asetek bastards were unable to provide competitive products to swiftech's kit thus only way to drown competitor is to sue with their patented mega-uber-innovation which probably could be patented only because of brokenness of US patent system.

[Buckeye]

Yeah I don't know if selling all the parts as individual items would work <shrug>