Back in April 2017, Cooler Master lost a dispute in the court against Asetek, a company that specializes in CPU and GPU liquid solutions over patent infringement. As result, Cooler Master is required to compensate a huge sum of $600,000 for violating U.S. patents 8240362 and 8245764 which belonged to Asetek.
However, the table has turned in the favor of Cooler Master, as the court in the Hague has annulled a European patent of Asetek for water cooling in the Netherlands because of lack of inventiveness.
Now, Asetek are required to reimburse Cooler Master with a total of up to 113,000 Euros for all the mess that they have put the company into since everything started back in year 2014. During the point of time, the Danish Asetek spends the case against the Netherlands-based Cooler Master Europe, stating that Nepton 120XL, Nepton 240M and Seidon 120V Ver.2 liquid coolers by Cooler Master has infringed their patent on cooling system for computers and demanded a sales stop on the mentioned products.
In response to the charge, Cooler Master requested the court to declare the patent invalid for its defense. The company argues that it already published a so-called 'utility model' in China, which describes the operation of a water pumping engine device with chamber. According to the court, the document clearly and unambiguously describes the characteristics of a water cooling system, as also described in the Asetek European patent. The court therefore judges that the part of the patent where the Asetek is about is not new and is pointed out as lack of inventiveness.
The case concerned the patent EP1923771, filed by Asetek in November 2004 and awarded in May 2015. The European patent is based on older American patents of Asetek. The Danish Asetek has been running a legal battle with Cooler Master for years. In 2015 , a US court ruled a similar case in favor of Asetek.
(Source: Tweakers.net, PCGamer.com)