US ITC to probe Sony, Toshiba, several high-profile companies

Sony, along with other industry giants, may have a grand high-definition future laid out for 2008, but the path is not without the occasional hurdles and dangers. The US International Trade Commission has agreed to open up an investigation into companies responsible for manufacturing and distributing devices using short-wavelength emitting diodes, and the authoritative body says that high definition movie players are one of them. More details unfold at the full story.

A recent complaint filed by Gertrude Neumark Rothschild on February 20, 2008 has given way to convince members of the US International Trade Commission to investigate devices using short-wavelength emitting diodes. They hope to determine if a violation has actually been made by the more than two dozen companies listed on their official announcement, which includes Sony and Toshiba.

The filed complaint says that there have been violations of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which is supposed to protect against “unfair methods of competition.” It is also against the import or sale of products in the US that may essentially harm an industry that the nation economically operates.

Rothschild of Hartsdale, New York claims that companies are importing devices mentioned earlier that infringe upon a patent the complainant owns. The complaint also came with a request that the US ITC put in place cease and desist orders to effect on the alleged infringement, as well as issue exclusion orders.

According to the ITC, short-wavelength emitting diode technology is used in many devices today, and they range from cellular phones to instrument panels for industrial and commercial use. Data storage devices and high-definition players, such as HD DVD and Blu-ray, have also been identified.

And the broad range of products they aim to investigate have drawn out the names of consumer electronics giants Toshiba, Sharp, Sanyo, Samsung, Sony, Sony Ericsson, Pioneer, Motorola, and Nokia – among others – as respondents to the case.

Currently, the ITC says that the investigation is simply looking if such a violation has occurred, and they have not decided upon the merits of the case. The ITC is looking for an early conclusion to the probe, so we’ll keep you updated as soon as results roll in.