Ann: HGST Renews for 9th Consecutive Year, page-18

Did 4DS originally signed the JDA with WDC to have access to this Lab ?

Other startups obviously did.

https://blog.westerndigital.com/researching-at-the-nanoscale/







"When visiting startups use the lab for their own research, its often a joint development venture where Western Digital shares the intellectual property."



The JDA


The JDA renewal is not for research purpose anymore, imo.
(There is only one part time scientist left in 4DS team and it's Ting Yen, and he have access to Stanford Labs if needed)

The JDA is there just to show that 4ds is not a poor little thing alone in the cold, but that they have a big friend still interested in what they do.

Having nothing else to show, 4DS shows the JDA.

The consequences are that, if what comes out of Imec in july is something of value, Western Digital will have the right to ask for a licence.
Even if 4DS decide to end the JDA at that time, WDC will still have 30 days to ask for a licence.

The consequence is that, if the product works, Western Digital will be in the final picture, no matter what,
That is, if we are to see the end of this story this year...


Best outcome for shareholders then :

A - WDC Buy 4DS to secure the exclusive right to use the new memory

B - WDC only asks for a licence => 4DS becomes a licence seller (or alternatively is sold to a Rambus like company), because none will pays billions for a non exclusive right on the tech.
( Why buying if you can achieve the same result by only taking a licence ?)


The scope of possibilities have certainly narrowed today.
But, as mjshackl said, KH had to do it, having no big technical news that would have allowed him to forgo the JDA.

All imo.