Funai Sues TV Manufacturers
By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 3/19/2007
Los Angeles — Funai Corp., a major Japanese video and television manufacturer and marketer, said that its Japanese parent company Funai Electric has filed patent infringement lawsuits against television manufacturers and marketers, Vizio, Petters Group Worldwide (Polaroid) and Syntax-Brillian (Olevia) in the U.S. District Court here.
According to Funai, the defendants allegedly infringed technology it licensed exclusively for ATSC television sets sold in the United States.
The company said it had previously brought similar suits against Proview International Holding’s and TPV International and AOC International, which make and market AOC/Envision branded TVs.
Funai, which is a major manufacturer of VCRs and DVD products in addition to flat-panel TVs, uses the Funai, Symphonic, Emerson and Sylvania brands to market various product lines in the United States.
Representatives for most of the defendants declined to comment on the pending litigation. A spokesman for AOC said his company was preparing a counter suit.
