OSAKA -- Funai Electric Co., Ltd. announced today that an Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) of the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”) issued an Initial Determination (“ID”) as to Funai Electric’s and Funai Corporation, Inc.’s claims that Vizio, TPV, Amtran, Proview, Syntax-Brillian and other respondents violate Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930.

The ALJ determined that the respondents’ digital television products infringe asserted claims of Funai Electric’s U.S. Patent No. 6,115,074.  Based on such determination, the ALJ will issue a Recommended Determination on Remedy by December 1, 2008.  Funai is seeking a limited exclusion order barring importation of the infringing products into the United States as well as a cease and desist order to prevent sale or distribution of such infringing products in the United States.  Certain models of the following brand names are subject to the ID: Vizio, Ölevia, Proview, AOC, and Envision, among others.  The ALJ’s ID is subject to review by the full Commission and, if reviewed by the Commission, a final determination is expected by the end of March 2009. 

Funai is committed to respect the intellectual property rights of other parties and will continue to vigorously protect its intellectual property rights against infringers.  Funai has over fifteen licensees of its digital television patent portfolio.  Funai’s portfolio includes patents related to the ATSC standards (*1) as well as other digital television technologies.  The Federal Communications Commission’s regulations mandate that television sets sold in the United States must be compatible with certain ATSC standards.

 

*1	The digital television system used in the United States is described by a set of standards published by the Advanced Television Standards Committee (ATSC).

 

History of the Litigation:  On October 15, 2007, Funai Electric and Funai Corporation filed a complaint with the ITC against 14 respondents claiming infringement of Funai’s digital television patents.  Three respondents settled and entered licenses with Funai during the course of the proceedings, and the ITC case continued as to the other 11 respondents.  Two of the respondents defaulted during the course of the ITC case.  Upon completion of the ITC proceeding, Funai expects to resume its suits that are pending in the U.S. District Court against the same parties, seeking damages resulting from infringement of Funai’s digital television patents.

Following is a list of the current respondents:

Vizio, Inc., formerly known as V. Inc. (US) Amtran Technology Co., Ltd (Taiwan) Proview International Holdings, Ltd. (Hong Kong) Proview Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (China) Proview Technology, Inc. (US) TPV Technology, Ltd. (Hong Kong) TPV International (USA), Inc. (US) Top Victory Electronics (Taiwan) Co., Ltd (Taiwan) Envision Peripherals, Inc.(US) Syntax-Brillian Corporation (US) Taiwan Kolin Co., Ltd (Taiwan)

Information in the press releases is current on the date of the press announcement, but is subject to change without prior notice.

ITC Administrative Law Judge Issues Initial Determination Finding Infringement of Funai’s Digital Television Patent [PDF:17KB]