Samsung joins ATSC patent spat

Samsung has filed a patent enforcement action against Polaroid and Westinghouse for infringing on patents essential to the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) standard.

The ATSC includes companies in the multimedia industry which are combining methods and patented technologies to develop voluntary standards for digital TV and multimedia communications.

Samsung is joining Zenith Electronics, also a participant in the ATSC Patent Portfolio programme, which already has a suit pending against the same two companies in the US Eastern District Court of Texas.

Samsung's suit was filed in the US District Court of Delaware and accuses Polaroid and Westinghouse of offering products which use ATSC methods without having entered into a relevant portfolio licence.

The devices include a wide range of consumer electronics such as TVs, tuners, set-top boxes and digital video recorders.

The suit seeks monetary damages and an injunction prohibiting Polaroid and Westinghouse from using, offering, marketing or importing ATSC patents in their products.