US-based chipmaker Freescale Semiconductor has filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission, accusing Taiwan’s MediaTek Inc (聯發科) of patent infringement, the commission said on Friday.
According to the commission, Freescale alleges that MediaTek, Taiwan’s largest integrated circuit designer, violated Section 337 of the US Tariff Act of 1930 by infringing on the US firm’s technology in integrated circuits, chipsets and other components used in TVs.
Freescale also named Top Victory Electronics (Taiwan) Co Ltd (捷聯電子) and Taiwan’s AmTran Technology Co (瑞軒科技) as well as companies in Japan, South Korea and the US in the patent infringement complaint.
Freescale has requested that the commission institute an investigation into the alleged patent infringement.
If the commission votes to launch a probe and rules that these companies have stolen Freescale’s technology, it will issue remedial orders to ban the import and sale of their products related to the technology in the US -market, -unless the orders are disapproved for policy reasons by the US trade representative within 60 days of the order’s issuance.
MediaTek chief financial officer David Ku (顧大為) said the move by Freescale would not have any immediate material impact on the company’s operations.
However, Ku declined to comment further on the litigation because the judicial process is under way.
Currently, integrated circuits used in TVs account for 10 percent to 15 percent of MediaTek’s total sales, while chips used in cellphones make up about 70 percent of the company’s total revenue.
According to MediaTek, this is not the first time Freescale has sued MediaTek for patent infringement and is simply part of an ongoing patent battle between the two companies.
In July, Freescale filed a complaint accusing MediaTek, the US-based integrate chip designer Zoran Corp, Japanese TV producer Funai Electric Co Ltd and Funai’s US subsidiary Funai Corp of infringing on certain TV-chip related patents asserted by the US firm.
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