AIT-5 Tape Cartridge Product Recall Announcement

November 19, 2008

Dear Valued Sony AIT Media Customer:

We regret to inform you that we have discovered a quality issue affecting certain AIT-5 tape cartridges  which can cause the error rate to increase and thereby, in some  cases, result in the inability to read data from the tape after it has been archived.  We discovered this problem during our internal environmental acceleration tests.  As this issue apparently occurs only after the passage of some time (2 to 3 years based on our testing),  we have not received any reports of this problem from any customers as of the date of this letter.  However, as a preventive measure, Sony has decided to recall the suspect tape cartridges sold after November 1, 2007, which are identified by the below lot numbers.

The affected tape cartridges are:

Model numbers: SDX5-400C, 50SDX5-400P, SDX5-400P, SDX5-400W

Production lot numbers: 21CAxxxxx, 22CAxxxxx

The production lot numbers are printed on the cartridge and the master box, as shown below:

Production Lot Number On Spine of the Cartridge	Production Lot Number on the Master Boxes

If you have any AIT-5 cartridges from the above lot numbers, Sony will replace them at no charge. We recommend that you immediately back-up any data you may have stored on the tape cartridges, then delete the content on the tape cartridges and call Sony's AIT-5 support hotline at 800-961-7669 to make arrangements for a free exchange (Sony will take care of the shipping).

If you or any recipient of this notice have any questions or need assistance in connection with this matter, please call Sony's AIT-5 hotline at 800-961-7669  and a customer service representative will assist you.

We deeply apologize for any inconvenience this issue may cause and appreciate your understanding and assistance.