| April 11 , 2009 |
| To Whom It May Concern: |
| Funai Electric Co., Ltd. Representative: Tomonori Hayashi, President and CEO (Code No.: 6839 First Section of TSE/OSE) |
ITC’s Final Determination
ITC Bans Import and Sale of DTVs of VIZIO and Other Infringing Parties
OSAKA – On April 10, 2009, the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”) issued a final determination and remedy order finding that VIZIO and other respondents infringe Funai Electric Co., Ltd.’s digital television patent and that their products shall be barred from importation or sale in the U.S.
“We are very pleased that the ITC has vindicated Funai’s efforts to legitimately enforce its U.S. digital television patent against infringing companies like VIZIO,” stated Tomonori Hayashi, President and CEO of Funai Electric. “Funai remains committed to respecting the intellectual property rights of others and will continue vigorously protecting its own intellectual property rights against infringers.”
The ITC’s determination confirms an earlier initial determination issued by an Administrative Law Judge on November 17, 2008 finding that VIZIO and several other respondents infringe one of Funai’s digital TV patents. The ITC also accepted the ALJ’s remedy recommendation and issued (1) an exclusion order barring the Vizio and the other respondents from importing infringing digital TVs into the U.S., and (2) cease and desist orders preventing domestic respondents from importing infringing product or selling their infringing inventory in the U.S. Under the Section 337 statute, President Barack Obama has 60 days in which to review and revise the ITC’s orders.
The digital televisions that are now subject to the ITC’s remedy orders are sold under the following brands: VIZIO, Ölevia, Proview, AOL and Envision, among others. The named respondents that did not previously settle with Funai include the following companies:
Vizio, Inc., formerly known as V. Inc. (US) |
About Funai: Funai is a competitive provider of high-quality, affordably-priced digital TVs, digital TV converter boxes, and other consumer electronics in the United States. Funai’s products are labeled and marketed under the names Emerson and Sylvania, among others, and Funai licenses its digital TV technology to other suppliers. Funai established its U.S. presence in 1991. Funai’s U.S. headquarters are in Rutherford, New Jersey, with an office in Torrance, California. Over the years, Funai has built successful relationships with several major U.S. retailers, including Best Buy, Sears, Target, and Wal-Mart.
Information in this press release is current on the date of the press announcement, but is subject to change without prior notice.
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ITC Bans Import and Sale of DTVs of VIZIO and Other Infringing Parties (ITC’s Final Determination) [PDF:17KB]
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