Editing Byte (section)

=== Lawsuits over definition ===
Lawsuits arising from alleged consumer confusion over the binary and decimal definitions of multiples of the byte have generally ended in favor of the manufacturers, with courts holding that the legal definition of gigabyte or GB is 1&nbsp;GB = {{val|1,000,000,000}} (10<sup>9</sup>) bytes (the decimal definition), rather than the binary definition (2<sup>30</sup>, i.e., {{val|1,073,741,824}}). Specifically, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California held that "the U.S. Congress has deemed the decimal definition of gigabyte to be the 'preferred' one for the purposes of 'U.S. trade and commerce' [...] The California Legislature has likewise adopted the decimal system for all 'transactions in this state.{{' "}}<ref name="Order Granting Motion to Dismiss">{{cite web  | url = https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/flashdrives.pdf  | title = Order Granting Motion to Dismiss  | publisher = [[United States District Court for the Northern District of California]]  | access-date = 2020-01-24  | archive-date = 2021-10-07  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211007112246/https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/flashdrives.pdf  | url-status = live  }}</ref>

Earlier lawsuits had ended in settlement with no court ruling on the question, such as a lawsuit against drive manufacturer [[Western Digital]].<ref name="WesternDigital">{{cite web  | last = Mook  | first = Nate  | date = 2006-06-28  | url = http://www.betanews.com/article/Western-Digital-Settles-Capacity-Suit/1151510648  | title = Western Digital Settles Capacity Suit  | publisher = betanews  | access-date = 2009-03-30  | archive-date = 2009-09-07  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090907183334/http://www.betanews.com/article/Western-Digital-Settles-Capacity-Suit/1151510648  | url-status = live  }}</ref><ref name="Baskin-2006-02-01">{{cite web  | last = Baskin  | first = Scott D. | date = 2006-02-01  | url = http://www.wdc.com/settlement/docs/document20.htm  | title = Defendant Western Digital Corporation's Brief in Support of Plaintiff's Motion for Preliminary Approval  | work = Orin Safier v. Western Digital Corporation  | publisher = [[Western Digital Corporation]]  | access-date = 2009-03-30  | archive-date = 2009-01-02  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090102041947/http://www.wdc.com/settlement/docs/document20.htm  | url-status = dead  }}</ref> Western Digital settled the challenge and added explicit disclaimers to products that the usable capacity may differ from the advertised capacity.<ref name="WesternDigital"/> Seagate was sued on similar grounds and also settled.<ref name="WesternDigital"/><ref name="Seagate">{{cite news  | last = Judge  | first = Peter  | date = 2007-10-26  | url = https://www.zdnet.com/article/seagate-pays-out-over-gigabyte-definition/  | title = Seagate pays out over gigabyte definition  | work = ZDNet  | access-date = 2014-09-16  | archive-date = 2014-09-03  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140903033455/http://www.zdnet.com/seagate-pays-out-over-gigabyte-definition-3039290393/  | url-status = live  }}</ref>