There were reports earlier this year that AMD was considering all legal options at its disposal to go hard against a number of companies including LG, MediaTek, Vizio and Sigma Designs for allegedly infringing on its intellectual property. A couple of months down that path, and we are now hearing that the US International Trade Commission has waved the green flag at an investigation to get to the bottom of the alleged GPU patent infringements.
According to AMD’s allegations, the four aforementioned companies has been making use of visual processing in their various products including smartphones, mobile processors, and TVs, that infringe on AMD’s concepts for unified graphics shaders and parallel graphics pipelines.
In the event AMD emerges victorious in the follow-up investigations, it could potentially see a number of LG and Vizio devices being banned.
The USITC issued a press release recently clarifying that it was going to start an investigation on “certain graphics systems, components thereof, and consumer products containing the same’ under ‘section 337’.”
It further stated that the USITC has zeroed in on the following as respondents in this investigation:”
- LG Electronics, Inc., of Seoul, Republic of Korea;
- LG Electronics U.S.A., Inc., of Englewood Cliffs, NJ;
- LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A., Inc., of San Diego, CA;
- VIZIO, Inc., of Irvine, CA;
- MediaTek Inc., of Hsinchu City, Taiwan;
- MediaTek USA Inc. of San Jose, CA
- Sigma Designs, Inc., of Fremont, CA.
“The USITC will make a final determination in the investigation at the earliest practicable time. Within 45 days after institution of the investigation, the USITC will set a target date for completing the investigation. USITC remedial orders in section 337 cases are effective when issued and become final 60 days after issuance unless disapproved for policy reasons by the U.S. Trade Representative within that 60-day period,” read the statement from the USITC.
[Source]