Analog Devices' Global Fight for Intellectual Property Protection Boosted; Indian Court Grants Injunction, Demonstrates Commitment of Country's Judiciary.Business Editors/Legal Writers/High-Tech Writers NORWOOD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 22, 2004 Analog Devices Analog Devices (NYSE: ADI) is an American multinational producer of semiconductor devices. Analog specializes in ADC, DAC, MEMS, and DSP chips for consumer and industrial goods. Analog is presently designing circuits in the 65 nanometer to 3 µm process feature sizes range. , Inc. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : ADI), as a staunch advocate for unconditional recognition of the value of technological intellectual property rights, has successfully taken its cause to India. The Delhi High Court The High Court of Delhi (Hindi: दिल्ली उच्च न्यायालय) was established on October 31, 1966. has granted an injunction ordering an India-based distributor to immediately stop importing and distributing energy-metering semiconductor chips from a Chinese semiconductor manufacturer because the chips are counterfeits, which infringe on copyrights and valid patents held by ADI, and because continued piracy represents a substantial threat to both ADI and India's technology industry. Responding to unlawful counterfeiting of its high-performance energy metering semiconductor chips, ADI filed an intellectual property and passing-off suit and has had its lawsuit validated by the interim injunction. The Court found merit in ADI's arguments citing flagrant attempts to harm both ADI and Indian commerce. The suit charges copyright infringement Noun 1. copyright infringement - a violation of the rights secured by a copyright infringement of copyright plagiarisation, plagiarization, piracy, plagiarism - the act of plagiarizing; taking someone's words or ideas as if they were your own and passing-off against Shanghai Belling Company (Belling), a Chinese semiconductor manufacturer exporting goods to India, and against one of Belling's India-based distributors. The suit states that Belling has copied ADI's energy metering chips and is wrongfully trying to pass-off the counterfeit chips as substitutes for ADI's chips. The suit alleges chips manufactured by Belling violate the intellectual property of ADI in India, where millions of digital energy metering chips are used in meters to measure the use of electricity in homes, apartments, and businesses. Belling, the suit maintains, pirated the technology and sold the counterfeit devices to meter manufacturers throughout India. Commenting on this issue in India, William Wise, ADI's corporate counsel said, "The Indian judiciary, like the balance of India's technological sector, recognizes the importance of protecting patents and intellectual property as a means of protecting technological investments in their country. For over twenty years TWENTY YEARS. The lapse of twenty years raises a presumption of certain facts, and after such a time, the party against whom the presumption has been raised, will be required to prove a negative to establish his rights. 2. , Analog Devices has worked closely with the Indian technology community and built a reputation for high-quality products in India. Counterfeiting our technology and misusing the Analog Devices name is not acceptable to us. We are committed to ensuring our customers are protected against counterfeiters of our chips and technology." "Analog Devices is filing this suit as an internationally recognized means of protecting hard-earned research findings and innovations," added Mr. Wise. "We are now entering into a new phase with the Indian legal system that will test whether the government's desire to attract technology development to the country is supported by a willingness to prosecute and penalize pe·nal·ize tr.v. pe·nal·ized, pe·nal·iz·ing, pe·nal·iz·es 1. To subject to a penalty, especially for infringement of a law or official regulation. See Synonyms at punish. 2. intellectual property violations accordingly." "The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA Sia (sī`ə) or Siaha (sī`əhə), in the Bible, family returned from the Exile. SIA - Serial Interface Adaptor ) has worked with governments around the world to establish intellectual property protection procedures for integrated circuit integrated circuit (IC), electronic circuit built on a semiconductor substrate, usually one of single-crystal silicon. The circuit, often called a chip, is packaged in a hermetically sealed case or a nonhermetic plastic capsule, with leads extending from it for design and manufacturing," said George Scalise, President of the SIA. "Prosecution and penalty are critical aspects of the intellectual property process that must be enforced. The World Semiconductor Council, which represents the semiconductor industries of the U.S., Japan, Europe, Korea, and Taiwan, unanimously agree that failure to adequately protect intellectual property is very damaging to the semiconductor industry, and that unlawful counterfeiting must be quickly addressed and stopped." ADI's suit also maintains that Belling has engaged in a word-for-word illegal copying of ADI's application note. About Analog Devices Analog Devices (www.analog.com) is a leading manufacturer of precision high-performance integrated circuits Integrated circuits Miniature electronic circuits produced within and upon a single semiconductor crystal, usually silicon. Integrated circuits range in complexity from simple logic circuits and amplifiers, about 1/20 in. (1. used in analog and digital signal processing See DSP. Digital Signal Processing - (DSP) Computer manipulation of analog signals (commonly sound or image) which have been converted to digital form (sampled). applications. The company is headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts, USA, and employs approximately 8,400 people worldwide. It has manufacturing facilities in the US, Ireland, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom. Analog Devices' stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) World's largest marketplace for securities. The exchange began as an informal meeting of 24 men in 1792 on what is now Wall Street in New York City. and the company is included in the S&P 500 Index. |
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