Toshiba Corporation has filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission seeking to block imports of DVDs and related technology into the U.S. from 17 companies breaching its patents on DVD technology. The Tokyo-based company also filed a U.S. lawsuit against the companies, most of which are manufacturers and importers based in Hong Kong and China, asking for an undisclosed amount of money and orders barring the companies from producing, importing and selling products using Toshiba technology in the U.S. "The infringement of Toshiba's patents by these companies has damaged Toshiba's DVD-related business, and also caused damage to the legitimate and licensed DVD product manufacturing and distribution and business as a whole," Toshiba said in a statement.
Toshiba said it licenses patents essential for meeting DVD format specifications. "The 17 companies named in the complaint and the lawsuit do not have license agreements with Toshiba," nor with the DVD6C Licensing Group2, an industry body representing nine DVD companies that licenses DVD patents. Without the licences, the 17 companies "have engaged in the importation and sale of DVD products without permission." The target companies include Daewoo Electronics America Inc., Dongguan GVG Digital Technology of China and Star Light Electronics Co. of Hong Kong.
News source: CBC News
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