InterDigital Asks ITC to Bar Import of Some Samsung Mobile Phones and Components

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InterDigital Seeks Import Ban on Phones
Friday March 23, 11:55 am ET

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. (AP) -- Wireless technology developer InterDigital Communications Corp. said Friday that it has asked the U.S. International Trade Commission to bar the import of certain Samsung Electronics Co. mobile phones and components that it alleges infringe its patents.
The company's complaint alleges that Samsung is engaged in an unfair trade practice by manufacturing and importing the goods, which use a technology known as WCDMA.InterDigital also said it has filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court in Delaware.
The ITC has 30 days to decide whether to investigate InterDigital's complaints. The agency generally aims to complete investigations within 12 to 15 months.
William Merritt, president and chief executive of InterDigital, said the company has unsuccessfully tried to negotiate an agreement with Samsung.
"We are committed to resolve our patent licensing discussions in a timely manner and remain open to a business resolution. However, if we cannot negotiate an agreement, we will aggressively defend our intellectual property rights," he said.
The case echoes another battle currently under way at the ITC between chip designers Broadcom Corp. and Qualcomm Inc. Broadcom has secured a judgment from the ITC that Qualcomm violated its patents on a wireless technology that saves battery power, and urged the ITC in a March hearing to ban cell phones and cell phone chips that include the technology.
Shares of InterDigital fell 18 cents to $31.87 in midday trading on the Nasdaq.