Press Release
New York, NY - August 12, 2004
Sony, along with other consumer electrical manufacturers, prevailed as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed a lower court’s ruling that cleared them of infringing a patent for V-chip technology, held by Soundview Technologies. The ruling also cleared the manufacturers of antitrust and unfair practice allegations.
Soundview’s complaint had claimed an infringement by the group of TV makers on its patent, by refusing to license its patented technology while including similar technology in their own products. The manufacturers sold these to comply with a 1996 Telecommunications Act mandate to include the V-chip in TV sets, as they let parents block adult and violent shows.
Sony was represented by Kenyon & Kenyon partners Richard L. DeLucia, Richard S. Gresalfi, Alexas D. Skucas, and by Elizabeth Gardner, and by associates Jeffrey S. Gerchick, John F. Petrsoric and Thomas R. Makin. Kenyon & Kenyon partner Richard L. DeLucia argued on behalf of all the defendants at the oral argument before the lower court, and Kenyon & Kenyon partner Richard S. Gresalfi argued on behalf of all the defendants at the oral argument before the appeals court.