US trade panel to investigate S3 complaint against Apple

25.06.2010
The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) has launched a formal investigation into four patent complaints filed against Apple by computer graphics hardware maker S3 Graphics, which asked the agency to block Apple from importing the iPhone, iPad and other products into the U.S.

The USITC on Friday announced it would investigate the May 28 so-called section 337 complaint filed by S3, based in Fremont, California. The complaint alleges that Apple has infringed four S3 patents related to electronic devices with image processing systems and related software. The patents involve image compression and decompression software, and Apple distributes a software development kit with the same technology adapted for use in its computers, the S3 complaint said.

S3 has asked the USITC to block the import of the iPod Touch and the MacBook, in addition to the iPhone and iPad, according to the complaint.

Representatives of S3 and Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comments.

S3 applied for a patent for the image compression technology in October 1997.

From that application, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued four patents: No. 7,043,087, for an image processing system, issued in May 2006; No. 6,775,417, for fixed-rate, block-based image compression with inferred pixel values, issued in August 2004; No. 6,683,978, also for fixed-rate, block-based image compression with inferred pixel values, issued in January 2004; and No. 6,658,146, also for fixed-rate image compression, issued in December 2003.