The U.S. International Trade Commission announced Wednesday that it voted to start an investigation in response to a complaint lodged by Sony Corp. regarding claims that certain boxes and gateways imported and supplied by Arris to Comcast and DirecTV infringe on certain Sony patents.
Arris declined to comment on the investigation, but the ITC said the probe includes Arris set-tops supplied to Comcast for its Xfinity brand and boxes supplied to DirecTV for its Genie brand, as well as “media or telephone gateway products.”
Arris is a key box supplier for Comcast’s X1 platform. AT&T closed its acquisition of DirecTV in July 2015.
Per the ITC, the complaint alleges violations of section 337 of the Tariff Act.
Various units of Arris and Pace are both listed as respondents in the investigation (337-TA-1049)
Arris acquired U.K.-based Pace plc in January 2016, a move that broadened Arris’s lead in the set-top sector and filled a satellite TV gap in Arris’s set-top business. That followed Arris’s purchase of Motorola Home in April 2013.
RELATED: Arris Wraps Up Pace Acquisition
The US ITC said it will make a final determination in the investigation “at the earliest practicable time," but will set a target date for completing the investigation within 45 days after institution of the investigation.
