Tela Innovations Seeks Section 337 Import Ban on Acer, Asus, Lenovo, Others

Tela Innovations is seeking a ban on imports of integrated circuits and the consumer electronics products that contain them because they infringe four of its U.S. patents, said the company in a Trade Act Section 337 complaint (login required) filed Dec. 19 with the International Trade Commission. Several companies, including Acer, Asus, Lenovo and Micro-Star, are copying its patented layout optimization technology for ICs and incorporating those chips into downstream products, said the complaint. Tela seeks a limited exclusion order banning imports of the infringing merchandise, and cease and desist orders against the companies involved, it said. The ITC seeks comments on the complaint by Jan. 4, said a Federal Register notice published Thursday.