HP sues EMC, alleges storage patent infringement

PALO ALTO, California: Computer and printer maker Hewlett-Packard Co. has filed a patent infringement lawsuit concerning data storage technology against EMC Corp. HP said it had asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California for monetary damages and injunctive relief to stop EMC from using technology from seven HP patents in EMC's Symmetrix, Clariion and TimeFinder products.

Shares of EMC fell 43 cents, or 8.6 percent, to $4.57 and HP was off 26 cents, about 2 percent, to $11.77, in late trade on the NYSE, while the American Stock Exchange Computer Hardware Index was down 0.52 percent. The patents involve a variety of technologies dealing with moving data and resolving problems in storage computers, and HP said it was responding to EMC suits.

"EMC has opted to pursue a lawsuit against one of our technology providers, Hitachi, as well as against HP directly through ongoing litigation relative to StorageApps, which HP acquired last year," Bob Schultz, vice president of marketing, HP Network Storage Solutions, said in a statement.

"HP has a responsibility to ensure that, as we compete in the marketplace, we are not competing against our own intellectual property. We have a strong patent portfolio covering storage technology and we will protect it," he said.

EMC, HP and Hitachi are three of the biggest makers of storage networks, dedicated clusters of data storage computers that improve the flow and availability of data to traditional computer networks.

© Reuters