What’s new: US Conec Ltd., an American firm that produces components for high-density optical interconnects, has lodged a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) over alleged violations of its intellectual property rights by 19 companies including five from the Chinese mainland.
The complaint alleges that the 19 firms violate Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 because the products they export to the U.S. — including fiber-optic connectors, adapters and jump cables — infringe on Conec patents, according to a USITC document dated Monday.
The five mainland companies are Changzhou Co-Net Electronic Technology Co. Ltd., Shenzhen UnitekFiber Solution Ltd., Shenzhen IH Optics Co. Ltd., Rayoptic Communication Co. Ltd. and HuNan Surfiber Technology Co. Ltd., according to the document.
Conec is also suing the five Chinese mainland companies as well as three others — one each from Japan, Taiwan and Germany — for alleged patent infringements, according to a complaint Conec filed on March 20 to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, seen by Caixin.
The background: Section 337 investigations typically involve claims regarding intellectual property rights, including allegations of patent infringement and trademark infringement regarding imported goods.
The primary remedy available in Section 337 investigations is an exclusion order that directs customs to halt imports of the infringing goods. In addition, the USITC may issue cease and desist orders against importers engaged in unfair acts that violate Section 337.
Contact reporter Ding Yi (yiding@caixin.com) and editor Jonathan Breen (jonathanbreen@caixin.com)
