Power Integrations Requests Investigation of Power Supply Controllers from Taiwan

On May 9, 2005, Power Integrations, Inc. filed a "Section 337" unfair import complaint at the U.S. International Trade Commission. The complaint requests that an unfair import investigation be instituted involving "Certain Power Supply Controllers and Products Containing Same."

The proposed respondents is Systems-General Corporation, Taipei, Taiwan. The complaint has been designated as confidential and assigned Docket No. 337-2428 for indexing in the Commission's database. Power Integrations’ patent-infringement lawsuit against System General, filed in June 2004 in the U.S. Federal District Court for the Northern District of California, reportedly remains in progress.

The Commission now has 30-35 days from the filing date of the complaint in which to decide whether to institute the investigation. Upon institution, the proposed respondent will be served with the Complaint via postal mail and an Administrative Law Judge will schedule discovery, conduct a trial, and issue a written "Initial Determination," usually within about 10 months. Due to the expedited nature of these proceedings, and availability of general exclusion orders affecting non-parties, it is important to notify any potential importers of similar products as soon as possible.

Click here for more information on the importance of monitoring these ITC investigations. For the latest details on a particular Section 337 investigation, or to arrange a free, in-person presentation on these (and/or other) intellectual property topics, contact Bill Heinze (Bill.Heinze@tkhr.com), at Thomas, Kayden, Horstemeyer & Risley in Atlanta, Georgia