The Swiftech H220, which we reviewed here, is one of the most critically acclaimed AIO liquid coolers on the market. It is unique from the competition in that it is open loop and it uses custom-grade water cooling components that give it more thermal capability. Yet Asetek thinks it has the legal right to take Swiftech to court over patent infringement. Swiftech, being a comparatively small company, has now had to take drastic action in the USA to avoid hefty legal penalties if found guilty of patent infringement, or if dragged into a long legal proceeding. Swiftech has announced the full withdrawal of the H220 from the U.S market.
Asetek claim Swiftech infringement on Asetek patents 8240362 and 8245764 while Swiftech claim such infringement is nonsense. To anyone with common sense the difference between Asetek and Swiftech AIOs is large. The Swiftech H220 is a modified extension of Swiftech’s custom water cooling kits while Asetek’s AIO design is cut down, cheap and uses basic grade components.
Swiftech isn’t going to just “roll over and die” though. It will continue to provide technical and warranty assistance to those H220 AIOs that have already been sold and it will continue to sell it in countries outside the USA, leaving U.S citizens the opportunity to import themselves (most likely through Canada).
While Swiftech is crippled by Asetek for the foreseeable future in the USA, hopefully there will be an end in site for them that will allow them to sell in the USA. Asetek offered to license its pump head unit to Swiftech and let Swiftech use their own radiator, fans and tubing. Swiftech declined such offer because the main selling point of the H220 is the dramatically more powerful pump which powers the expandability of the unit.
For those who do not remember around 5 months ago we brought you the exclusive news that Asetek had taken Cooler Master to court in the USA over the Seidon series, no doubt we can expect similar litigation over the Eisberg series too. Asetek is turning into the patent troll of the AIO market.
Image courtesy of eTeknix
Whats this? Are Asetek trying to take taking a leaf out of Apples book? If they are, they’re learning from the masters.
Yep learning from the masters of being greedy twats… At the end of the day though the people to blame are the US patent office for granting ridiculously broad patents. They just grant most of the patents and just leave them to go to court because they are too damn lazy! In the words of Team America, “America Fuck Yeah”…