Cooler Master Takes Aim at Competitors in AIO Lawsuit
Recently, Cooler Master has initiated legal action against SilverStone, ENERMAX, and their manufacturing partner, Apaltek, accusing them of infringing on patents related to their AIO and CLC designs. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
Cooler Master alleges that these entities have violated its U.S. Patent Nos. 10,509,446, 11,061,450, and D856,941. The accused products include SilverStone’s IceMyst 240, PF240, PF240W, IceGem 360, VIDA 240 Slim, and RGB Controller, as well as ENERMAX’s Aquafusion ADV, Liqmax III ARGB, Liqtech 360 TR4 II Slim, and RGB Controller. Apaltek, serving solely as a manufacturer, does not have its branded products in retail channels but is accused of being the original technology supplier for SilverStone and Enermax.
Specifically, Cooler Master claims that the design choices for the water pumps in the implicated water cooling radiators originate from technology invented by Cooler Master, and the same applies to the ARGB controllers. Furthermore, Cooler Master believes the fundamental designs of these water-cooling radiators also constitute infringement, for which it seeks damages and the coverage of legal fees.
One of the defendants told TechPowerup that Cooler Master had previously defended itself in a similar patent infringement lawsuit against Asetek during 2016-2017. Now, it is accusing smaller competitors like SilverStone and ENERMAX of infringing on its patents, conspicuously excluding other Apaltek clients such as MSI. This move is perceived as an attempt to intimidate less powerful adversaries while avoiding conflict with stronger ones, a stance they intend to challenge vigorously in court.
