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Asetek’s 2015 demand targeted the Radeon R9 Fury X over alleged infringement of liquid-cooling patents. AMD said a jury had found the Fury X cooler did not infringe. Asetek also demanded that Gigabyte stop selling certain WaterForce GTX 980 cards, but the available reporting does not establish the final outcome of either demand.
Why Asetek challenged the Radeon R9 Fury X
On December 8, 2015, Ars Technica reported that Asetek had issued cease-and-desist demands to AMD and Gigabyte. Asetek alleged that specific GPU liquid-cooling products used technology covered by its patents and sought to stop their sales. The dispute concerned the cooler’s pump technology, not a claim that the graphics processors themselves infringed a patent.
A cease-and-desist demand states a party’s position; it is not a court finding. The report describes Asetek’s allegations and requested action, not proof that AMD or Gigabyte infringed.
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Asetek’s attorneys said they had sent Gigabyte letters concerning at least the GEFORCE GTX 980 Water Force model GV-N980WAOC-4GD. They said they expected to obtain and analyze the GV-N98TXTREME W-6GD model. The reported demand thus named one model and identified another for further review; it did not establish that both had been found to infringe.
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What the reported jury finding meant for Fury X
AMD’s position, as reported by Ars Technica, was that a jury found the cooler in the Radeon R9 Fury X did not infringe Asetek’s patents. That is the reported finding relevant to AMD’s defense. It should not be confused with proof that Gigabyte’s different WaterForce products received the same ruling: the report does not say that they did.
How Asetek’s Cooler Master case fits in
Asetek’s earlier patent lawsuit against Cooler Master provided immediate context for the 2015 demands. Ars Technica reported a 25.375 percent royalty rate for sales of products covered by that case. That figure belongs to the Cooler Master litigation; it is not a royalty rate for AMD or Gigabyte products and does not establish damages or a payment obligation in either dispute.
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Is the final outcome of the 2015 demands known?
The cited 2015 account does not establish the final disposition of Asetek’s demands involving AMD and Gigabyte. Asetek’s Half Year Report 2025 says the company has filed and defended patent-infringement lawsuits, that some cases may continue, and that new cases may be initiated. That broad statement does not identify a final resolution for these particular 2015 demands.
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