5/86 DISK DRIVES PATENT - TANDON LOSES CASE

The US international Trade Commission has made a final decision that Mitsubishi Electric is not violating the patents of Tandon Corp. concerning floppy disk drives. With this it upheld the decision of the administrative judge which had earlier found no violation based on Article 337 of the US Trade Law. Tandon announced that it would appeal the decision to the US court of Appeals. It appears that while the lower heads of Tandon disk drives are fixed, those of Mitsubishi Electric can be moved somewhat, making them sufficiently different to make them distinguishable for patent purposes. Other Japanese makers were reportedly congratulating Mitsubishi on its victory. Mitsubishi has, however, raised the dollar denominated prices of its floppy disk drive -- exports by 20% since December in order to avoid charges of dumping in the face of the stronger yen.

THE JAPAN LAWLETTER, May, 1986. By Roderick Seeman