Phanteks Denies Stealing PC Fan Design Approach From Lian Li
PC case maker Phanteks is pushing back against allegations that the company copied a fan design approach from rival vendor Lian Li.
“Phanteks D30 fans are an original idea and have been issued patents in multiple countries to date,” the Dutch company told PCMag.
Last week, Lian Li filed a lawsuit in a US district court against Phanteks, alleging patent infringement. The dispute involves the Phanteks D30 fans, which can be linked together, without needing to connect them through a “daisy chain” of cables.
The result can produce a cleaner design for PC builders. However, the lawsuit claims Phanteks stole the cable-less fan connecting approach from Lian Li. Back in 2020, Lian Li received a US patent that describes a similar design to connecting PC fans side-by-side through their power sockets. The patent now appears to be in use for Lian Li’s own RGB fans.
However, Phanteks denies that any patent infringement occurred. “From the start of the Phanteks D30 fan development, we set out to design an original product that innovates to provide new solutions to PC enthusiasts,” the company said. “We have consulted with patent lawyers during the development and prior to the announcement of the D30 fans and the fans were not found to infringe on the claims in the patent.”
In addition, Phanteks appears to have received a US patent for its own “fan connection structure” back in June. The company added: “We value and respect valid and enforceable IP rights and are confident that the result of this legal matter will confirm there is no infringement.”
PCMag also reached out to Lian Li, but the Taiwanese company merely said: “At this point, Lian Li doesn’t have much to add.” Still, if it succeeds, the company’s lawsuit could open the
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