Sony targeted by patent infringement investigation

The US International Trade Commission announced that it would be investigating 30 companies, including Sony, with regard to alleged patent infringements.

According to Reuters, the ITC is acting upon a complaint filed in February by Columbia University Professor Emeritus Gertrude Neumark Rothschild.

Rothschild, who is seeking to block imports into the US of a range of products, apparently owns a patent on her method of producing wide band-gap semiconductors for LEDs and laser diodes in the blue and ultraviolet end of the light spectrum.

Products such as handheld mobile devices, traffic lights and high-definition DVD players use short-wavelength, light-emitting diodes and laser diodes.

"Dr. Rothschild made a seminal breakthrough in the production of the blue and ultraviolet LEDs that are essential to a wide variety of consumer electronics products today," said Albert Jacobs Jr, an attorney representing Rothschild.

"She richly deserves both scientific as well as commercial recognition for her work."

Along with Sony, the ITC announcement said that it would be investigating Hitachi, Motorola, Toshiba, Samsung Group, Pioneer, Sharp, Nokia, LG Electronics Inc. and Panasonic product maker Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.