Cooler Master Hit With Injunction For Infringing on Asetek’s Water Cooler Design

All-in-one liquid cooled CPU coolers seem to be a dime a dozen lately, but at the core, many of the designs borrow heavily from those of Asetek. In fact, many coolers out there produced by other companies are actually licensed from Asetek directly. So when a company comes along and offers a similar design without licensing, action needs to be taken.

Last year, Asetek won its case against Cooler Master for infringing on its design, and the courts awarded Asetek a 14.5% royalty rate thanks to it. Cooler Master then demanded a new trial, but things haven't gone according to its plan. The courts still agree with Asetek, and as punishment have increased the royalty rate Cooler Master has to pay to 25.375%.

As a result of all of this, Cooler Master has to immediately stop selling its infringing CPU coolers in the United States. That's not much of a loss considering the 25.375% royalty rate, though - it'd be virtually pointless to continue selling in the US given the profit margins would become minor or nonexistent. Cooler Master must pay that 25.375% rate on all units sold since the start of 2015.

Asetek's press release notes that Cooler Master is able to appeal this decision, but given it lost its own trial, it seems like it'd have an incredible uphill battle to win an appeal.