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Hard Drive Imports to be Banned?

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the outlaw-drives dept.

Arathon writes "Apparently the International Trade Commission is beginning an investigation that could lead to the banning of hard drive imports from Western Digital, Seagate, and Toshiba, among others, on the grounds that they fundamentally violate patents held by Steven and Mary Reiber of California. The patent apparently has to do with "dissipative ceramic bonding tips", which are important components of the drives themselves. Obviously, a ban would be unthinkable, and yet the ITC has 45 days to settle on a fixed date for the end of the investigation. If the patents are found to be violated, and the Reibers do not allow those patents to be bought or otherwise dealt with, the importation of almost all hard drives would actually be ceased."

10 of 391 comments (clear)

  1. Lead? by Corporate+Troll · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Doesn't the EU mandate lead-free electronics already? I don't know if that includes harddisks though.

  2. Be ceased? by KKlaus · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    You mean like... cease?

    I'm not usually a grammar nazi... but sheesh.

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    Relax I just want some peanuts.
    1. Re:Be ceased? by Farmer+Tim · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      "Ceased" is perfectly acceptable, as is "cessation". The word is being used correctly.

      More examples

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      Blank until /. makes another boneheaded UI decision.
    2. Re:Be ceased? by PinkyDead · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      I hate to be a Grammar Nazi, but... (nah! I love it).

      1. 'Importation', as a word, has been around for centuries.
      2. 'Import' has two (or even three) meanings which are completely valid in the sentence you have provided - while the original sentence, with 'Importation' contains no such ambiguity.
      3. The first two clauses of the sentence are, rightly or wrongly, written in the passive tense - therefore it is necessary, for consistency, to maintain the same sense in the final clause - hence 'be ceased'.

      --
      Genesis 1:32 And God typed :wq!
    3. Re:Be ceased? by clickclickdrone · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      He's probably just a Bush fan - anyone that mangles the language that badly must idolise that guy.

      --
      I want a list of atrocities done in your name - Recoil
  3. In Soviet Russia... by churchofthenewepoch · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    ...patent violates you!

  4. well.... by indy_Muad'Dib · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    this may be the final push needed to move to solid state drives.

  5. Re:I can't think of a good troll to put here by YU+Nicks+NE+Way · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Oh. You don't live in Europe or Australia, then? Perhaps Korea..no, not there either.

    Nor China.

    Oh. Of course! Hey, cool! What color is the sky on your planet?

  6. Re:I can't think of a good troll to put here by EsbenMoseHansen · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    why, blue. what is the sky on yours?

    Well, that rules out Denmark, where it is mostly grey with rainclouds. Spain, maybe?

    --
    Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.
  7. Re:No it shouldn't by aproposofwhat · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    Properly, 'Nazi' is an contraction, rather than an acronym - it's short for 'Nationalsozialismus'. (Wikipedia)

    That an AC Grammar Nazi doesn't know the difference between contractions and acronyms is neither surprising nor noteworthy.

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    One swallow does not a fellatrix make