Rodime Plc, the company whose main activity is taking legal action against Seagate Technology Inc for alleged patent infringement, has developed further plans to squeeze income out of the storage industry. The Edinburgh, UK-based firm has been awarded two new patents covering digital servo (DSP) technology by the US patent office, and it is now searching for products which may lead it to claim new licensing fees.
Rodime says it has also applied for patents to nine European registries, and that it is already in preliminary discussions with major manufacturers. These discussions have yet to any license fees, but directors are optimistic that the DSP patents will be revenue earning.
Revenue would be a novel addition to Rodime’s balance sheet. Having long exited the hard drive market, it recorded no income in the year to September 30, so with $1m expenses it recorded a loss of $1m, down from last year’s loss of $1.5m.
While the chairman’s report is devoted to the latest twists in its courtroom battles with Seagate, there are signs that Rodime may well return to the ranks of mainstream IT companies. The shares have risen recently to 8 pence, valuing the company at 20m pounds ($32.4m) on strong rumors that it was to be used as a shell by an internet company seeking a stock market quotation.
