Samsung sues Polaroid and Westinghouse over patent infringement

Alternative technology licenses firm, MPEG LA LLC, has announced that Samsung Electronics - a patent holder in MPEG LA’s ATSC Patent Portfolio License, has filed a patent enforcement action in the US District Court of Delaware against Polaroid Corporation owned by Petters Group Worldwide and Westinghouse Digital Electronics, for infringement of patents essential to the ATSC standard.

According to Samsung’s complaint, Polaroid and Westinghouse offer products - such as televisions, television tuners, set-top boxes and digital video recorders - which use patent-protected ATSC methods without having entered into a portfolio license offered by MPEG LA that includes these patents or a license with Samsung.

The suit seeks, among other things, monetary damages and an injunction prohibiting Polaroid and Westinghouse from using ATSC patents in their products and from offering, marketing, or importing them.

Zenith Electronics - another participant in the ATSC Patent Portfolio program – also has a suit pending against the same parties in the US District Court, Eastern District of Texas for infringement of its patents essential to the ATSC standard.