International Trade Commission
Sonnenschein’s Patent Litigation Practice includes a nationally recognized patent litigation practice at the United States International Trade Commission (ITC). Patent suits at the ITC are brought pursuant to Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 and are among the most complex, fast-paced, and demanding forms of IP litigation anywhere. Bringing an infringement action at the ITC and winning may force a competitor’s products from the U.S. market. By contrast, losing an action brought by a competitor may just as easily cause your products to be excluded. It should come as no surprise then that ITC litigation is often referred to as “bet-the-company” litigation because of the enormous stakes involved.
Sonnenschein makes litigating at the ITC effective by offering a team of patent attorneys who, collectively, have litigated numerous ITC patent cases.
Sonnenschein patent attorneys immediately bring a keen understanding of sophisticated technologies to ITC cases. Approximately 28 Sonnenschein attorneys have earned degrees—and in many cases advanced degrees—in an array of technical fields including electrical engineering, physics, computer science, biology, and chemistry.
Infringement actions at the ITC very often occur in parallel with district court litigation, adding another layer of complexity. Sonnenschein’s full-service patent litigation practice of more than 45 attorneys and professionals in 15 offices throughout the U.S. and Europe provides clients the freedom to choose the right litigation strategy using both forums. Sonnenschein patent attorneys have litigated IP cases in district courts throughout the U.S., including the Northern District of California, the Eastern District of Virginia, and Delaware.
The clear advantages Sonnenschein provides to clients have translated into an impressive record of achievement at the ITC.
Representative ITC cases
- In the Matter of Certain Semiconductor Chips With Minimized Chip Package Size and Products Containing Same (USITC 2007)
- In the Matter of Certain Baseband Processor Chips and Chipsets, Transmitter and Receiver (Radio) Chips, Power Control Chips, and Products Containing Same, Including Cellular Telephone Handsets (USITC 2007)
- In the Matter of Systems for Detecting and Removing Viruses or Worms, Components Thereof, and Products Containing Same (USITC 2007)
- In the Matter of Mobile Telephone Handsets, Wireless Communication Devices, and Components Thereof (USITC 2006)
- In the Matter of Certain Voltage Regulators, Components Thereof and Products Containing Same (USITC 2006)
- In the Matter of Certain Color Television Receivers and Color Display Monitors and Components Thereof (USITC 2005)
- In the Matter of Certain Display Controllers and Products Containing Same (USITC 2003)
- In the Matter of Certain Display Controllers with Upscaling Functionality and Products Containing Same, Inv. No. 337-TA-481 (2002)
- In the Matter of Certain Integrated Circuits, Processes For Making Same, and Products Containing Same (USITC 2001)
- In the Matter of Certain EPROM, EEPROM, Flash Memory, and Flash Microcontroller Semiconductor Devices and Products Containing Same, Inv. No. 337-TA-395 (1997)
The unprecedented growth in global manufacturing and international trade, coupled with the critical importance of efficiently addressing IP rights, make the ITC an ideal venue to litigate patents. While the explosion in ITC litigation is attracting attention from newcomers, the lawyers of the Patent Litigation Practice have been litigating or working at the ITC for years. The institutional knowledge and experience. Sonnenschein offers clients is what sets it far apart from those firms which are only now learning about ITC practice.
