The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) announced it would investigate a complaint (337-TA-764) that products incorporating Blu-ray Disc (BD) players as well as digital televisions offered by Sony infringe patents owned by LG Electronics.
According to the complaint, the eight LG patents in question include:
Blu-ray Disc
• U.S. Patent No. 7,701,835 (Recording medium having data structure for managing reproduction of data streams recorded thereon and recording and reproducing methods and apparatuses)
• U.S. Patent No. 7,577,080 (Recording medium with a linking area thereon and apparatus and methods for forming, recording, and reproducing the recording medium)
• U.S. Patent No. 7,619,961 (Read-only recording medium and reproducing method thereof)
• U.S. Patent No. 7,756,398 (Recording medium and method and apparatus for reproducing text subtitle stream for updating palette information)
Digital Television
• U.S. Patent No. 6,785,906 (Polling internet module of web TV)
• U.S. Patent No. RE 37,326 (HDTV receiver)
• U.S. Patent No. 5,533,071 (Error tracking loop incorporating simplified cosine look-up table)
• U.S. Patent No. 5,923,711 (Slice predictor for a signal receiver)
For more information visit: www.usitc.gov
Unedited press release follows:
USITC INSTITUTES CONSOLIDATED SECTION 337 INVESTIGATION ON CERTAIN ELECTRONIC DEVICES HAVING A BLU-RAY DISC PLAYER AND COMPONENTS THEREOF AND CERTAIN DIGITAL TELEVISIONS AND COMPONENTS THEREOF
The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) has voted to institute a consolidated investigation of certain electronic devices having a Blu-ray disc player and components thereof and certain digital televisions and components thereof. The products at issue in this investigation are devices that can be used to play Blu-ray discs and digital televisions.
The investigation is based on complaints filed by LG Electronics, Inc., of Korea, on February 4, 2011. The complaints allege violations of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 in the importation into the United States and sale of certain electronic devices having a blu-ray disc player and components thereof and digital televisions and components thereof that infringe patents asserted by LG Electronics. The complainants request that the USITC issue an exclusion order and cease and desist orders.
The USITC has identified the following as respondents in this investigation:
Sony Corporation of Japan;
Sony Corporation of America of New York, NY;
Sony Electronics, Inc., of San Diego, CA;
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc., of Japan; and
Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC of Foster City, CA.
By instituting this investigation (337-TA-764), the USITC has not yet made any decision on the merits of the case. The USITC’s Chief Administrative Law Judge will assign the case to one of the USITC’s six administrative law judges (ALJ), who will schedule and hold an evidentiary hearing. The ALJ will make an initial determination as to whether there is a violation of section 337; that initial determination is subject to review by the Commission.
The USITC will make a final determination in the investigation at the earliest practicable time. Within 45 days after institution of the investigation, the USITC will set a target date for completing the investigation. USITC remedial orders in section 337 cases are effective when issued and become final 60 days after issuance unless disapproved for policy reasons by the U.S. Trade Representative within that 60-day period.