SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 19, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Power Integrations (Nasdaq:POWI) today announced that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has affirmed the decision of the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) that certain power-supply controllers produced by System General Corp. (SG) infringe Power Integrations U.S. Patent Nos. 6,351,398 and 6,538,908, in violation of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930. As a result, the exclusion order issued in 2006 by the ITC will remain in effect. The exclusion order prohibits the importation of SG's infringing products into the U.S., as well as the importation of any LCD monitors and printer adapters containing the infringing parts.
The decision clears the way for Power Integrations to proceed with its patent-infringement lawsuit against SG in Federal District Court in San Francisco, which had been stayed pending the appeal of the ITC decision. In that lawsuit, originally filed in June 2004, Power Integrations is seeking damages as well as an injunction against all SG products that infringe the company's patents, including parts not subject to the ITC decision. Because the Court of Appeals has affirmed the ITC decision, the ITC's finding that SG's products infringe the above-named patents is binding on the district court. The trial date is yet to be determined.
"We expect our competitors to respect our intellectual property, and we are committed to combating any unlawful infringement that harms our business," said Balu Balakrishnan, president and CEO of Power Integrations. "We are pleased that the ITC ruling against SG has been upheld and that the ITC decision will now be binding on the district court."
Power Integrations' lawsuit against System General is separate from the company's litigation against Fairchild Semiconductor, which acquired SG earlier this year. Fairchild has been found to infringe four Power Integrations patents, and a jury has awarded approximately $34 million in damages. Power Integrations is now seeking an injunction against the infringing products as well as enhancement of the damages based on the finding of willful infringement.
About Power Integrations
Power Integrations, Inc. is the leading supplier of high-voltage analog integrated circuits used in power conversion. The company's breakthrough technology enables compact, energy-efficient power supplies in a wide range of electronic products, in both AC-DC and DC-DC applications. The company's EcoSmart(r) energy-efficiency technology, which dramatically reduces energy waste, has saved consumers and businesses around the world more than an estimated $2.5 billion on their electricity bills since its introduction in 1998. For more information, visit the company's website at www.powerint.com.