Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
Representative: Tomonori Hayashi, President and CEO
(Code No.: 6839 First Section of TSE/OSE)
Funai Urges FCC to Reject VIZIO’s Attempt
to End-Run an ITC Patent Infringement Investigation
OSAKA – On March 13, 2009, Funai Electric Co., Ltd. and Funai Corporation, Inc. (collectively, “Funai”) asked the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) to reject VIZIO, Inc.’s request that the FCC inject itself into a 16-month International Trade Commission (“ITC”) investigation into VIZIO’s infringement of Funai’s digital television (“DTV”) patent. Funai opposed VIZIO’s request that the FCC regulate the patent licensing fees that companies pay for use of Funai’s DTV technology patents. Funai told the FCC that VIZIO’s objective is to avoid an order by the ITC, expected in April this year, that would exclude VIZIO’s infringing products from the United States.
Funai also debunked VIZIO’s attempt to link the ITC patent infringement case with the transition to all-digital broadcast television, scheduled for June 12, 2009. The DTV market is among the most competitive in the United States, with multiple suppliers that include Funai licensees. These suppliers will continue to provide high quality products to the U.S. market at competitive prices. Exclusion of VIZIO’s infringing digital televisions will not affect the availability of DTVs or DTV converter boxes, which Funai and many other companies sell in the U.S.
About Funai: Funai is a competitive provider of high-quality, low-cost DTVs, DTV converter boxes, and other consumer electronics in the United States. Funai’s products are labeled and marketed under the names Emerson and Sylvania, among others, and Funai licenses its DTV technology to other suppliers. Funai established its U.S. presence in 1991. Funai’s U.S. headquarters are in Rutherford, New Jersey, with an office in Torrance, California. Over the years, Funai has built successful relationships with several major U.S. retailers, including Best Buy, Sears, Target, and Wal-Mart.
Information in this press release is current on the date of the press announcement, but is subject to change without prior notice.
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Naoyuki Takanaka
Investor / Public Relations Department
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Funai Urges FCC to Reject VIZIO’s Attempt to End-Run an ITC Patent Infringement Investigation [PDF:16KB]