Samsung to Share HDD-Related Patents With Hitachis Affiliate

Samsung Electronics Co., South Korea's electronics giant, said Friday that it has signed a deal to share patented technologies with Japan's computer hardware manufacturer HGST in producing hard disk drives (HDD).

Under the deal, both companies will be able to share HDD-related patents registered before 2003 permanently and others until 2011, the company said in a statement. HGST is an affiliate of Hitachi, one of Japan's largest electronics companies.

In a separate move, the two have agreed to drop all pending patent-infringement lawsuits lodged against each other, Samsung added.