June 23 (Reuters) - Data storage provider Western

Digital ( WDC ) has convinced a California federal judge to

reduce a $552.7 million award against it in a patent dispute

over data encryption to just $1, according to a court order made

public on Monday.

U.S. District Judge James Selna said the award for patent

licensing company SPEX Technologies wrongly included damages for

aspects of Western Digital's ( WDC ) products that did not infringe the

patent, wiping out a $315.7 million jury verdict plus an

additional $237 million that he had previously determined

Western Digital ( WDC ) owed SPEX in interest.

Spokespeople and attorneys for the companies did not

immediately respond to requests for comment on the decision.

San Jose, California-based SPEX was originally formed to

license technology from Spyrus, a cryptography company that

developed technology for encrypting sensitive communications.

SPEX said in its 2016 lawsuit that Western Digital's ( WDC )

self-encrypting hard drive products infringed a Spyrus patent

covering data encryption innovations.

The lawsuit alleged that Western Digital ( WDC ) data storage

devices, including its Ultrastar, My Book and My Passport

products, infringed the patent. Western Digital ( WDC ) denied the

allegations.

A jury in Santa Ana, California, ruled for SPEX last

October. Selna said in his decision made public Monday that SPEX

could only receive "nominal" damages for Western Digital's ( WDC )

infringement, slashing the award to $1.