In the Matter of Certain Optical Disk Controller Chips and Chipsets and Products Containing Same, Including DVD Players and PC Optical Storage Devices; Notice of Investigation

AGENCY:

International Trade Commission.

ACTION:

Institution of investigation pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 1337.

SUMMARY:

Notice is hereby given that a complaint was filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission on March 11, 2004, under section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, 19 U.S.C. 1337, on behalf of Zoran Corporation and Oak Technology, Inc., both of Sunnyvale, California. Three letters supplementing the complaint were filed on March 29 and March 30, 2004. The complaint, as supplemented, alleges violations of section 337 in the importation into the United States, the sale for importation, and the sale within the United States after importation of certain optical disk controller chips and chipsets and products containing same, including DVD players and PC optical storage devices, by reason of infringement of claims 1-12 of U.S. Patent No. 6,466,736, claims 1-3 of U.S. Patent No. 6,584,527, and claims 1-35 of U.S. Patent No. 6,546,440. The complaint further alleges that there exists an industry in the United States as required by subsection (a)(2) of section 337.

The complainants request that the Commission institute an investigation and, after the investigation, issue a permanent exclusion order and permanent cease and desist orders.

ADDRESSES:

The complaint and supplemental letters, except for any confidential information contained therein, are available for inspection during official business hours (8:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.) in the Office of the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street, SW., Room 112, Washington, DC 20436, telephone 202-205-2000. Hearing impaired individuals are advised that information on this matter can be obtained by contacting the Commission's TDD terminal on 202-205-1810. Persons with mobility impairments who will need special assistance in gaining access to the Commission should contact the Office of the Secretary at 202-205-2000. General information concerning the Commission may also be obtained by accessing its Internet server at http://www.usitc.gov. The public record for this investigation may be viewed on the Commission's electronic docket (EDIS) at http://edis.usitc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Karin J. Norton, Esq., Office of Unfair Import Investigations, U.S. International Trade Commission, telephone 202-205-2606.

Authority: The authority for institution of this investigation is contained in section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, and in section 210.10 of the Commission's rules of practice and procedure, 19 CFR 210.10 (2003).

Scope of Investigation: Having considered the complaint the U.S. International Trade Commission, on April 6, 2004, ordered that—

(1) Pursuant to subsection (b) of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, an investigation be instituted to determine whether there is a violation of subsection (a)(1)(B) of section 337 in the importation into the United States, the sale for importation, or the sale within the United States after importation of certain optical disk controller chips or chipsets or products containing same, including DVD players and PC optical storage devices, by reason of infringement of claims 1-12 of U.S. Patent No. 6,466,736, claims 1-3 of U.S. Patent No. 6,584,527, or claims 1-35 of U.S. Patent No. 6,546,440, and whether an industry in the United States exists as required by subsection (a)(2) of section 337.

(2) For the purpose of the investigation so instituted, the following are hereby named as parties upon which this notice of investigation shall be served:

(a) The complainants are—

Zoran Corporation, 1390 Kifer Road, Sunnyvale, CA 94086-5305;

Oak Technology, Inc., 1390 Kifer Road, Sunnyvale, CA 94086-5305.

(b) The respondents are the following companies alleged to be in violation of section 337 and upon which the complaint is to be served:

ASUSTek Computer, Inc., 150 Li-Te Road, Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan 112;

Creative Technology, Ltd., 31 International Business Park, Creative Resource, Singapore 609921, Republic of Singapore;

Creative Labs, Inc., 1901 McCarthy Boulevard, Milpitas, California 95035;

Jiangsu Shinco Electronic Group Co., Ltd., 5# Waihuan Road, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China 213022;

LITE-ON Information Technology Corporation, 14F, No. 392, Ruey Kuang Road, Neihu, Taipei 114, Taiwan;

MediaTek, Inc., 5F, No. 1-2, Innovation Road 1, Science-Based Industrial Park, Hsin-Chu City, Taiwan 300;

Mintek Digital, 4195 E. Hunter Ave., Anaheim, California 92807;

Shinco International AV Co., Ltd., Rm 1503, Kinox Center, 9 Hung To Road, Ngau Tau Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong;

TEAC Corporation, 3-7-3 Naka-Cho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8550, Japan;

TEAC America, Inc., 7733 Telegraph Road, Montebello, California 90640;

Terapin Technology Corporation, 76 Playfair Rd #04-03 Block 2, LHK2 Building, Singapore 367996, Republic of Singapore;

Terapin Technology, 1430 Valwood Parkway, Suite 110, Carrollton, Texas 75006.

(c) Karin J. Norton, Esq., Office of Unfair Import Investigations, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street, SW., Room 401-A, Washington, DC 20436, who shall be the Commission investigative attorney, party to this investigation; and

(3) For the investigation so instituted, the Honorable Paul J. Luckern is designated as the presiding administrative law judge.

Responses to the complaint and the notice of investigation must be submitted by the named respondents in accordance with section 210.13 of the Commission's rules of practice and procedure, 19 CFR 210.13. Pursuant to 19 CFR 201.16(d) and 210.13(a), such responses will be considered by the Commission if received no later than 20 days after the date of service by the Commission of the complaint and the notice of investigation. Extensions of time for submitting a response to the complaint will not be granted unless good cause therefor is shown.

Failure of a respondent to file a timely response to each allegation in the complaint and in this notice may be deemed to constitute a waiver of the right to appear and contest the allegations of the complaint and to authorize the administrative law judge and the Commission, without further notice to the respondent, to find the facts to be as alleged in the complaint and this notice and to enter both an initial determination and a final determination containing such findings, and may result in the issuance of a limited exclusion order or a cease and desist order or both directed against such respondent.