Toshiba sues Western Digital for $1.1 billion

Toshiba claims Western Digital employees improperly obtained proprietary information

Toshiba Corp sued Western Digital in a Japanese court, asking for 120 billion yen ($1.1 billion) in damages and seeking to stop the US company from interfering in the sale of its chip unit, escalating a legal tussle between the companies.

The litigation, filed Wednesday in Tokyo District Court, seeks to stop Western Digital from making ownership claims over the enterprise that Toshiba is trying to sell. The Japanese company stated that Western Digital’s employees improperly obtained proprietary information.

The relationship between Toshiba and Western Digital has gotten more acrimonious, as Toshiba moves toward a sale of the flash-memory division.