The federal complaint alleging the InfoComm 2014 show gave...

The federal complaint alleging the InfoComm 2014 show gave “safe haven" to HDMI trademark infringers (CED Sept 15 p4) “is the only suit that HDMI Licensing has ever filed against a trade show operator,” HDMI Licensing President Steve Venuti told us by email Tuesday. “HDMI’s intellectual property forms the backbone of our company and the continued development of our IP is fundamental to the success of our business, that of thousands of our licensees, as well as to millions of consumers who use and depend on our technology,” Venuti said. “Unfortunately, there are many infringers of HDMI’s valuable IP and we undertake a thoughtful effort to enforce our rights and to bring infringing behavior into compliance. When companies display infringing products at trade shows, we always work within the guidelines established by the trade shows to engage with these exhibitors.” As described in the complaint, InfoComm “prevented interaction with unlicensed exhibitors at InfoComm2014 in Las Vegas, thereby creating a platform for the marketing/sale of infringing products,” he said. “We brought legal action to ensure that InfoComm, like a swap meet or flea market that permits the sale of counterfeit goods, not be allowed to continue their behavior.” HDMI “has no plans to bring other legal action at this time” against organizers of other trade shows, Venuti said. InfoComm has said the HDMI Licensing complaint has no merit and that it plans to file counterclaims.