Los Angeles, California: DDD Group plc (AIM: DDD; OTCQX: DDDGY), the advanced imaging and 3D solutions company, confirms that it’s Australian subsidiary, Dynamic Digital Depth Research Pty Ltd (“DDD”), has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles alleging that LG Electronics’ (“LG”) range of 3D televisions infringe three of DDD’s U.S. patents.
The complaint alleges that the automatic 2D to 3D conversion function performed by LG’s range of 3D televisions infringes the claims of DDD’s U.S. Patent No. 6,477,267 “Image Conversion and Encoding Techniques”, U.S. Patent No. 6,496,598 “Image Processing Method and Apparatus”, and U.S. Patent No. 7,489,812 “Conversion and Encoding Techniques”.
The complaint notes that despite the fact that LG licensed DDD’s TriDef 3D solutions for use with their 3D personal computer products and their 3D mobile phones, the engineering team responsible for the development of LG’s 3D televisions pursued the development of their 3D TVs in full knowledge of the existence of DDD’s patents and technologies. As a result, the complaint alleges that the LG has demonstrated a pattern of blatantly disregarding DDD’s intellectual property and by doing so, LG is getting a “free ride” on DDD’s decades of research and development, and unfairly competing in the marketplace since first announcing their range of 3D TVs in late 2009.
The complaint seeks injunctive relief and unspecified monetary damages and contends that since LG’s infringement has been, and continues to be, willful, DDD is entitled to seek treble damages and an award of its attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses.
DDD also announces that it has retained Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP (“Quinn Emanuel”) to work alongside Dominion Harbor Group to protect DDD’s intellectual property rights and enforce its patent portfolio. The Quinn Emanuel team engaged by DDD who are working on the complaint against LG includes partners William Price (Washington, DC), Alan Whitehurst (Washington, DC), Amar Thakur (Los Angeles), and Marissa Ducca (Washington, DC).
Chris Yewdall, Chief Executive of DDD, said:
“DDD has invested heavily in its intellectual property portfolio over the years and we have licensed the DDD technology to many companies on fair and reasonable terms. Unfortunately, some companies have refused to license the proprietary DDD technology that they are using. We are pleased to have an experienced team of top litigators helping to enforce DDD’s IP rights with respect to LG and to generate additional returns on DDD’s IP investments.”
Alan Whitehurst, Partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, said:
“Our clients are of the highest caliber, and we are proud to count DDD among them. With the help of Dominion Harbor, we plan to leverage our trial-proven IP experience and depth of resources in order to maximize the value of DDD’s IP.”
David Pridham, Chief Executive of Dominion Harbor Group said:
“Quinn Emanuel’s reputation as a world-class patent litigation firm and the enthusiasm they have shown for the opportunity to work with DDD made their selection an easy choice. They have an exemplary track record as one of the go-to firms for ‘bet the company’ intellectual property litigation for the world’s leading technology businesses.”
Enquiries:
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DDD Group Chris Yewdall, President & CEO Victoria Stull, CFO
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+1 310 566 3340 |
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Peel Hunt LLP (UK Nomad/Joint Broker) Richard Kauffer / Euan Brown
Beaufort Securities (Joint broker) Jon Levinson / Elliot Hance
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+44 (0)207 418 8900
+44 (0)207 382 8300 |
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Blytheweigh (UK IR) Tim Blythe / Wendy Haowei / Andrea Benton
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+44 (0)207 138 3204 |
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Berns & Berns (US PAL) Michael Berns, esq. |
+1 212 332 3320 |
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About DDD Group
About DDD
DDD transforms the visual experience. Its advanced imaging and TriDef® solutions are licensed by leading brands for use in TVs, tablets and PCs. Over 55 million 3D products have been shipped by DDD’s licensees worldwide. DDD’s shares are quoted on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM Market (AIM: DDD) and the OTCQX (DDDGY). For more information please visit www.ddd.com.
About Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP is a 600+ lawyer business litigation firm – the largest in the United States devoted solely to business litigation. Quinn Emanuel’s lawyers have tried 1,516 cases and won 1,371, or over 90%. When representing plaintiffs, Quinn Emanuel’s lawyers have won over $15 billion in judgments and settlements. Quinn Emanuel has won five nine-figure jury verdicts in the last ten years and has also obtained eight nine-figure and five ten-figure settlements. For more information please visit www.quinnemanuel.com.
About Dominion Harbor Group, LLC
Dominion Harbor Group was founded in 2013 by seasoned legal, technical, engineering and financial professionals dedicated to the premise that patents are a sacrosanct and critical component of the United States and global commercial marketplaces. The firm’s highly specialized and talented team manages, helps protect and preserve intellectual property portfolios, maximizes values of patent portfolios through licensing, helps enforce and defend clients’ critical intellectual property rights, and advises owners and investors in realizing appropriate value for innovations and risk taking in the patent market. www.dominionharbor.com.