WASHINGTON & SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Acting on a complaint filed by Pictos Technologies Inc., The United States International Trade Commission (“Commission”) has launched a probe into industrial espionage and patent infringement by Samsung relating to digital imaging technology. This investigation by the Commission could result in an embargo of Samsung’s smartphone imports from South Korea and other countries into the United States.
The Commission’s decision to investigate South Korean-based Samsung, which is led by the billionaire Lee family, was prompted by a complaint filed by Pictos on October 22, 2020, under Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (insert hot link to the Pictos Complaint). The complaint alleges that Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Samsung Electronics America, Inc., and Samsung Semiconductor Inc.
(“Samsung”) have stolen trade secrets related to the digital imaging technology used in cameras on smartphones through industrial espionage and have continued to infringe the Pictos’ patents. These actions, Pictos alleges, destroyed its business.
The remedies sought by Pictos from the Commission are cease and desist orders and an exclusion order that would protect its intellectual property rights by prohibiting the importation of Samsung consumer electronic and mobile devices with infringing digital imaging components such as mobile phone handsets, tablet computers, laptop computers, digital cameras, and web-based cameras that are designed, operated, distributed, sold, or offered for sale by or for Samsung. Such an exclusion order, if fully implemented, would stop over $16 billion in imports of infringing Samsung products. The Commission is now investigating Samsung’s behavior, and a decision should be made by the end of 2021.
“In this case Pictos took every reasonable precaution to protect its trade secrets from Samsung, including non-disclosure agreements,” said Vince Capone, General Counsel of Pictos. “While other major corporations such as Apple, Kyocera, LG, and Nokia have all resolved their disputes with Pictos, Samsung has refused to do so, reaping billions of dollars from its wrongdoing. The Commission must not permit the patents of U.S. Companies and their trade secrets to be wantonly stolen by foreign interests. We urge the Commission to check Samsung’s predatory behavior,” he said.
About Pictos
Pictos Technologies Inc. is a U.S. owned company based in San Jose CA and organized under the laws of the State of Delaware. Pictos is the successor in interest to ESS Technologies, which, along with its predecessors, developed and patented the technology relying on significant trade secrets. Pictos is the owner of all right, title, and interest in those trade secrets.