Danish company Asetek has lost its 20-year grip in the AIO liquid cooler business due to its long-standing patent expiring just a couple of days ago.
Filed in 2005 by company founder André Sloth Eriksen, the patent PCT/DK2005/000310 registered under US8240362 has shaped the cooling hardware industry for decades through the integration of a pump directly in a waterblock. This exclusivity has meant that other brands cannot legally copy the design without licensing or further innovate on it, despite several attempts at skirting around the scope of the patent.
With the “®” now being a thing of the past, Asetek can no longer sue competitors who build similar integrated designs, thus leveling the playing field. However, despite the legal shift, a sudden influx of new players is unlikely as the AIO liquid cooling segment is already crowded and not especially lucrative, posing high barriers to new entrants.
At the current state, it is more likely for more cost-effective models mass mass-produced by Chinese brands and factories as usual than for someone to whip out something that is truly special enough to shake the entire market.
What this means for Asetek’s future in the cooling business remains to be seen. In its April earnings report, the company disclosed that it had been approached by a potential buyer interested in acquiring its liquid cooling operations. This suggests Asetek may be preparing to step away from a business it once dominated to open the door for broader innovation in the space.
