Toshiba has filed a complaint with the International Trade Commission (ITC) against 17 manufacturers and importers of DVD players, DVD recorders and other DVD-related products, as a means to halt infringement of Toshiba’s DVD patents.

Toshiba’s filing requests that the ITC prohibit the importation into the United States of these DVD products by the companies named in the complaint. In a related move, Toshiba also filed a lawsuit demanding monetary damages to the same companies in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

The 17 companies named in the complaint and the lawsuit do not have license agreements with Toshiba or the DVD6C Licensing Group, and have engaged in the importation and sale of DVD products without permission.

Toshiba claims the infringement of its patents “has damaged its DVD-related business, and also caused damage to the legitimate and licensed DVD product manufacturing and distribution business as a whole.” Toshiba declined to comment on the damage amount.

The companies sued include Daewoo Electronics America, Inc. (U.S.), Dongguan GVG Digital Technology Ltd. (China), Dongguan Tonic Electronics Co., Ltd. (China), Dongguan Xin Lian Digital Technology Co. Ltd. (China), GVG Digital Technology Holdings Ltd. (HK), jWIN Electronics Corporation (U.S.), Memcorp Inc. (U.S.), Star Light Electronics Co. Ltd. (Hong Kong), Starlight International Holdings Limited (Hong Kong), Starlight Marketing (HK) Ltd. (Hong Kong), Tonic Digital Products Limited (Hong Kong), Tonic DVB Marketing Ltd. (China), Tonic Electronics Limited (Hong Kong), Tonic Industries Holdings Limited (Hong Kong), Tonic Technology (HK) Limited (Hong Kong), Tonic Technology (Shenzhen) Ltd. (China), Tonic Trading Development Ltd. (Hong Kong).

Story filed 15.04.07