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Hitachi filed a patent infringement lawsuit against EMC Corp.

TOKYO, Japan and NORMAN, Oklahoma -- April 17, 2002 -- Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE:HIT, TSE: 6501) and Hitachi Computer Products (America) Inc. (HICAM) announced today that they filed a patent infringement lawsuit against EMC Corporation in the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. The complaint alleges that EMC's data storage equipment, including both Symmetrix© and CLARiiON© product lines, infringe eight Hitachi patents. The suit also seeks an injunction against the future sale of these EMC products. Last Thursday, EMC filed an infringement litigation against Hitachi, Ltd. and Hitachi Data Systems Corporation at the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington and in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, alleging that Hitachi's competitive products infringe six EMC patents. HICAM manufactures data-storage equipment in Norman, Oklahoma. Isao Ono, Senior Corporate Officer and Senior Group Executive, Information Business Group of Hitachi, Ltd. said: “Since EMC has chosen to compete in the courtroom rather than in the marketplace, Hitachi has no choice but to fight back with its own extensive patent portfolio in this field. Hitachi will vigorously defend against EMC's claims and will hold EMC fully accountable for infringing Hitachi's patents.”       Hitachi has been providing leading-edge data storage products and services since 1967 and has one of the world's largest R&D programs, which has generated more than 1,200 issued U.S. patents in the data storage field. About Hitachi Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is one of the world's leading global electronics companies, with fiscal 2000 (ended March 31, 2001) consolidated sales of 8,417 billion yen ($67.9 billion*). The company manufactures and markets a wide range of products, including computers, semiconductors, consumer products and power and industrial equipment. For more information on Hitachi, Ltd., please visit Hitachi's Web site at http://global.hitachi.com. *At an exchange rate of 124 yen to the dollar. (boiler plate of HICAM to come) (boiler plate of HDS to come)

WRITTEN BY Corporate Communications Division