The International Trade Commission has opened two Section 337 investigations on imported audio players and components (ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1329, -1330). The investigations follow two separate complaints, filed Aug. 9 by Google, which alleged that Sonos' audio players infringed on seven of Google's patents covering speech recognition and hot word detection on multiple devices (see 2208120036). Sonos asked the ITC to merge the complaint with another by Google, which alleged infringement of four separate patents. Alternatively, Sonos asked the commission to consolidate the resulting investigations if and when they are instituted, arguing “significant overlap” between the two complaints (see 2208240043). The commission has so far declined to do so, assigning a separate administrative law judge to each case. The investigation is the latest in a series of ITC and court battles between Google and Sonos.
The Commerce Department published notices in the Federal Register Sept. 15 on the following AD/CV duty proceedings (any notices that announce changes to AD/CV duty rates, scope, affected firms or effective dates will be detailed in another ITT article):
The International Trade Commission published notices in the Sept. 14 Federal Register on the following AD/CV injury, Section 337 patent or other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will be in another ITT article):
Comments are due to the International Trade Commission by Sept. 23 in a potential case on automated storage and retrieval systems and automated put walls. New Jersey-based warehouse automation company OPEX filed a complaint with the ITC on Sept. 9, alleging Chinese company HC Robotics and Pennsylvania-based Invata imported merchandise, namely the Omnisort and its associated vehicles, that infringed on two of OPEX's patents. The patents cover software systems for automated sorting and retrieval of warehouse items. OPEX has asked the ITC to issue a limited exclusion order, barring all of the respondents’ automated put walls and automated storage and retrieval systems, associated vehicles, associated control software and component parts thereof that infringe on at least one valid claim of at least one patent as well as cease and desist orders against both respondents.
The Commerce Department published notices in the Federal Register Sept. 14 on the following AD/CV duty proceedings (any notices that announce changes to AD/CV duty rates, scope, affected firms or effective dates will be detailed in another ITT article):
The Commerce Department is amending the final results of two separate antidumping duty administrative reviews on circular welded carbon steel pipes and tubes (pipes and tubes) from Thailand (A-549-502) to align AD rates assigned to Pacific Pipe Public Co. Ltd., Saha Thai Steel Pipe (Public) Co., Ltd., and Thai Premium Pipe Co. Ltd., in one review, and Saha Thai in the other review, with the results of two court cases challenging those final results.
The Commerce Department is amending a list of companies for which the review was rescinded in the preliminary results of its antidumping duty administrative review on certain pasta from Italy (A-475-818) covering the period July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021 (see 2208010055).
The Commerce Department issued the final results of its countervailing duty administrative review on narrow woven ribbons with woven selvedge from China (C-570-953). Commerce will use the rates set in this review to set importer assessments on entries from the three companies under review for calendar year 2020. Effective Sept. 14, Commerce will require CV duty cash deposits from the companies under review as follows:
The Commerce Department will suspend liquidation and require antidumping and countervailing duty cash deposits on entries of certain stainless steel sheet and strip from China (A-570-042/C-570-043) that has undergone further processing in the Vietnam, it said in the preliminary results of an anti-circumvention inquiry. The agency made preliminary affirmative findings that stainless steel sheet and strip of Chinese-origin that has undergone further processing in Vietnam is merchandise covered by the scope of the AD/CVD orders and that stainless steel sheet and strip completed in Vietnam using certain non-subject stainless steel flat-rolled inputs of Chinese-origin is merchandise circumventing the orders.
The International Trade Commission published notices in the Sept. 13 Federal Register on the following AD/CV injury, Section 337 patent or other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will be in another ITT article):