We all thought there would finally be peace surrounding Blu-ray players now that the competing hd dvd format was declared dead. Well, the smoke has barely cleared, and now another battle awaits Blu-ray. This time it’s a patent infringement battle.
Now to be fair, Blu-ray players are not the only devices at the center of the patent infringement controversy. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is launching a patent infringement investigation that involves a number of electronic devices, including handheld mobile devices, instrument panels, billboards, traffic lights, and data storage devices in addition to Blu-ray players. HD DVD players are also be affected, but considering they are overpriced regular DVD players now, not many people will be bothered if they are no longer available for sale.
The investigation stems from a complaint issued by Gertrude Neumark Rothschild based in Hartsdale, NY. The organization claims to own a patent that deals with shortwave LEDs, laser diodes, and other products using similar technology. Thirty companies have been identified as respondents in the investigation, which includes Sony. Other big name companies identified include Hitachi, LG Electronics, Motorola, Nokia, Pioneer, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Sony Ericsson, and Toshiba.
Read more from the ITC press release.
Brian’s Opinion
Wow, Gertrude Neumark Rothschild is really putting out a big fishing net for this patent infringement claim. It seems like the firm is using the ITC to help fight its battle. This is probably because a battle in the courts would be more costly. If it has its way it could mean that no products would be imported into the United States that are found to violate the patent.
That would be a lot of equipment and would have a huge effect on the U.S. economy. So, I think it is safe to say that the ITC will launch a full investigation and not issue any exclusion or cease and desist orders until the investigation has concluded. Still, even if this investigation goes against these 30 companies, they still have an ace in the hole.
The U.S. Trade Representative can simply disapprove of the final finding within a 60-day period. Considering the global impact of such a ruling, I think that disapproval would be a safe bet. Clearly, Gertrude Neumark Rothschild is going for the brass ring here. Hopefully, the patent will be found to be invalid, or some of these 30 companies will throw some money that way to settle the issue.
Tags: pvr, laptops, speaker, M4A
