UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of

The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 12, 2012

 

 

SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (353) (1) 234-3136

 

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

o            Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

o            Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

o            Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

o            Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

 

Item 7.01                      Regulation FD Disclosure.

 

On October 12, 2012, the Hennepin County District Court of Minnesota (the “Court”) vacated in part and confirmed in part the final award in a binding arbitration, concluded in January 2012, between Seagate Technology LLC and Western Digital Corporation, Western Digital Technologies, Inc., and a former Western Digital employee who was previously employed by Seagate.  The binding arbitration award found that Western Digital had misappropriated Seagate trade secrets, among other findings, and awarded Seagate $525 million in compensatory damages plus pre-award interest.

 

The Court has ordered that the matter be set for rehearing in front of an AAA arbitrator.

 

Seagate is disappointed in the Court’s ruling and disagrees with its conclusions.  Seagate intends to take all necessary legal action to reinstate the binding arbitration award.

 

The information in this Current Report on Form 8-K is “furnished” but shall not be deemed to be “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liability of such section.

 

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SIGNATURE

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

	SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY
	By:	/s/ Kenneth M. Massaroni
	Name:	Kenneth M. Massaroni
	Title:	Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer
Date: October 16, 2012

 

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