Toshiba attacks alleged infringement of DVD patents
Last Updated: Monday, April 9, 2007 | 10:47 AM ET
CBC News
Related
Internal Links
Toshiba Corp. has launched a two-pronged legal attack on companies it says are breaching its patents on DVD technology.
The Tokyo-based company announced Monday that it filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission seeking to block imports into the U.S. of DVDs and related technology from 17 companies.
It also said it began a U.S. lawsuit against the same 17 companies, 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 filed the complaint and lawsuit on Friday. Most of the 17 companies are manufacturers and importers based in Hong Kong and China.
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."
Toshiba began its lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Toshiba spokeswoman Yuko Sugahara declined to comment on the damage amount.
The commission is an independent U.S. federal agency that checks on unfair trade practices and copyright infringements.
The target companies include Daewoo Electronics America Inc., Dongguan GVG Digital Technology of China and Star Light Electronics Co. of Hong Kong.
Daewoo Electronics Corp. in Seoul had no comment, said company spokesman Gwon Dae.
In Hong Kong, Star Light officials weren't immediately available for comment, while GVG office didn't immediately return calls.
With files from the Associated PressShare Tools
Top News Headlines
- Everest victim's husband says family not seeking government help
- The husband of a Toronto woman who died trying to climb Mt. Everest on Saturday says his family is not seeking government help to cover the cost of bringing his wife's body home. more »
- B.C. premier unhappy with disgraced Mountie's transfer
- B.C. Premier Christy Clark says she is not happy with the RCMP decision to transfer a disgraced Alberta Mountie to the West Coast. more »
- Henrique's OT goal sends Devils into Stanley Cup final
- The New Jersey Devils will vie for a potential fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history after defeating the New York Rangers in six games in the Eastern final, courtesy of rookie Adam Henrique's goal early in overtime. more »
- Employment Insurance review boards to be scrapped
- The federal government is scrapping two review boards used by people appealing decisions made about their employment insurance. more »
Latest Technology & Science News Headlines
- Unloading of docked SpaceX capsule to start Saturday
- The privately bankrolled SpaceX Dragon capsule made a historic arrival at the International Space Station on Friday, and astronauts will begin unloading some of the 544 kilograms of food, water, clothing and other supplies its carrying starting Saturday. more »
- South Africa, Australia to share world's largest telescope
- South Africa and Australia will jointly host the Square Kilometre Array, which promises to be the world's largest telescope, the international consortium in charge of the project said Friday. more »
- Bonavista, N.L., 'coyote' was really wolf, tests confirm
- Wolves have not been seen in Newfoundland since around 1930 and were believed to have been hunted to extinction on the island, but genetic tests have confirmed that an 82-pound animal shot on the Bonavista Peninsula in March was, in fact, a wolf. more »
- Once-rare argus butterfly thriving thanks to climate change
- Global warming is threatening the existence of many species, such as the giant polar bear, but in the case of Britain's brown argus butterfly, it took a species in trouble and made it thrive. more »
- Yahoo scraps digital magazine designed for iPad
- Yahoo has killed Livestand, a tablet magazine, just six months after its debut on the iPad. more »
Bob McDonald's Blog
Government to shut down unique fresh water research area May. 25, 2012 12:31 PM The Experimental Lakes Area research facility in Northern Ontario is being closed down after 44 years of providing invaluable data to scientists in Canada and internationally, a decision that has stunned researchers and environmental groups.
Quirks & Quarks
- May 26: Before the Lights Go Out May. 25, 2012 4:15 PM A new book, "Before the Lights Go Out: Conquering the Energy Crisis Before It Conquers Us", suggests that the unpredictable, unplanned, ad-hoc way our energy use developed in the past will shape our energy future.
Latest Features
- Aylmer triple stabbing leads to first-degree murder charges
- Everest victim's husband says family not seeking government help
- B.C. premier unhappy with disgraced Mountie's transfer
- Third B.C. salmon farm quarantined
- What a Greek euro exit could mean for Canada
- RCMP officer charged in fatal crash
- Canada ending 'Buffalo shuffle' for visas, closing consulate
- Reclaiming the dead on Mt. Everest
- Employment Insurance review boards to be scrapped
