Vizio Clears Customs

By Geoff Duncan
July 10, 2009

U.S. Customs has certified that current Vizio televisions don't infringe on Funai patents, so they can be imported into the United States and sold to consumers.

Low-cost television maker Vizio has scored a victory in its long-running patent dispute with Funai: U.S. Customs has certified that current Vizio television models do not infringe on Funai's controversial patent 6,115,074, which clears the way for Vizio to import the televisions into the United States and offer them for sale to consumers.

The finding could be the last gasp in the companies' long-running patent battle: Funai had won a ruling from the U.S. International Trade Commission, which issued an order blocking Vizio from importing TVs that infringed on the patent into the United States. However, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a final rejection of the very patent at the heart of the matter. Now, regardless of whether Funai's patent is ...

Continue Reading Article @ DigitalTrends.com