Sony to appeal Netherlands PS3s seizure in LG dispute

Sony Corp said it will appeal the seizure of Playstation 3 game consoles by customs officers in the Netherlands following a court injunction initiated by LG Electronics over a patent dispute.

The Dutch customs authorities notified Sony at the end of February that an inspection would be made into Sony products imported into the Netherlands, which has now resulted in Playstation 3 game consoles being temporarily withheld, Sony said late on Friday.

Sony added that this preliminary injunction was related to a petition made by LG Electronics, alleging that Sony may be infringing LG patents related to Blu-ray technologies .

South Korea's LG Electronics said it would not comment on pending legal matters.

Sony said it disagreed with LG's allegations and would file an appeal to the courts in the Netherlands.

According to media reports earlier this week, tens of thousands of the consoles had been seized in the Netherlands in line with a 10-day import ban ordered by a Dutch court.

Sony unveils new handheld; takes on DS, smartphones

Sony Corp launched a new handheld gaming device , the first to feature 3G wireless connectivity , as it battles with Nintendo's best-selling DS and tries to fend off rising competition from smartphones and tablets.

The announcement came the same day Nintendo is expected to report a slide in quarterly profit. Nintendo launches its 3D version of its popular DS model next month.

Sony said the new device, which it has codenamed "NGP" for Next Generation Portable, will go on sale around the year-end.

It will feature 3G wireless connectivity, the first in a portable games device, and use a 5-inch OLED panel, Sony said.

That compares with 3.5 inches for a standard smartphone screen.

The device also has a back touch pad in addition to the front touch panel and a motion sensor for more intuitive use, Sony said.

With smartphones and tablets from the likes of Apple Inc eating into the market for portable gaming devices, Sony and Nintendo desperately need a blockbuster product to boost sales and profit.

Nintendo's DS sold nearly 136 million units up to last September. Sony's PSP has sold some 61 million.

The next-generation PSP may be closely related to a PlayStation phone that may be in the works.

If not announced this week, the PlayStation phone could be unveiled on Feb. 13 at a Sony Ericsson event in Barcelona.

Analysts expect Nintendo to report a nearly 40 percent drop in profits for October-December as sales of its DS and compatible software fade ahead of the 3D launch.

Next week, Sony is expected to post a fall in profits for October-December, hit by its struggling TV business.

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Sony to release new PlayStation Portable this year

Sony said Thursday the successor to its PlayStation Portable machine will go on sale late this year, offering the quality of a home console in an on-the-go machine boasting a screen double the size of smart phones.

The NGP, short for ``next generation portable,'' has a touch panel in the front and touch pads in the back to allow players to tap on the machine to move images, in addition to the usual buttons and switches.

It also offers a third-generation wireless connection plus the already available WiFi, allowing for more social networking and downloads. Its five-inch screen is OLED _ a different technology from liquid-crystal display _ for good color and image quality about four times better than the current PSP.

Sony said gamers will be able to play games they had been playing on the PlayStation 3 home console without feeling any drop in quality.

Kazuo Hirai, who heads Sony Corp.'s gaming section, proudly held the shiny black machine to cameras, declaring: ``This is the NGP.''

He did not give a price, regional release plans or other details. ``We will pursue the ultimate in entertainment,'' said Hirai, President and Chief Executive of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., Tokyo-based Sony's gaming unit. ``We want to create a revolution in your hands.''

Sony sues to block LG from shipping phones to U.S.A.

Sony Corp has filed a patent infringement complaint seeking to block LG Electronics Inc from shipping smartphones such as its Rumour 2 model to the United States.

In a filing late Wednesday with the U.S. International Trade Commission, Sony said LG violated U.S. trade rules by importing mobile phones and modems that infringed Sony patents.

Sony said LG also infringed patents of some of its licensees, including its Sony Ericsson joint venture, Samsung and Nokia.

The company filed a related complaint with the federal court in Los Angeles, court records show. A copy of that complaint was not immediately available.

LG spokesman John Taylor said in an email that it is company policy not to discuss pending litigation.

Sony said the patent infringement relates to more than 10 phones including the Encore, LG Accolade, Neon, Quantum, Rumour Touch and others.

The patents in the suit involve audio and microphone devices in phones, caller ID technology and transmission power.

LG, South Korea's fourth-largest conglomerate, this month said it is trying to expand its major businesses, including smartphones, and on Tuesday said it wants to raise 2011 sales by 11 percent to 156 trillion won ($135 billion).

Since October, LG has sold 2 million units of the Optimus One smartphone, its most popular smartphone model to date.

Sony reported an operating profit of 68.7 billion yen ($847 million) in the three months ended Sept. 30, reversing a loss the previous year.

The ITC case is In re: Certain Mobile Phones and Modems, U.S. International Trade Commission, No. 337-TA. The California case is Sony Corp. v. LG Electronics USA Inc. et al, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, No. 2:10-09967.

Disclaimer: All information on this news has been compiled from their respective official websites or through public domain sites and leading newspapers. Although, we have taken reasonable efforts to provide you with accurate information, but we assumes no responsibility for the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of the Information and would advise you to verify it from the official product provider. We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct. If you would like to advertise on our site please contact us

Sony to Double Production of Image Sensors

TOKYO—Sony Corp. said Monday it plans to spend about 100 billion yen ($1.21 billion) to double its output of image sensors used in digital cameras and smartphones.

The amount includes the likely cost of purchasing Toshiba Corp.'s chip manufacturing line in Nagasaki Prefecture, western Japan, Sony said. The two companies announced the deal Friday without disclosing the price of the acquisition.
Sony, which controls about 70% of the market for image sensors used in digital cameras, said it plans to convert the Toshiba line to produce sensors and also aims to refurbish one of its existing lines.


Digital imaging has been a bright spot for Sony's electronics business, helped by new models such as its NEX series of compact digital cameras with interchangeable lenses. Sony is targeting shipments of about 23 million digital cameras in the current fiscal year to March 2011, a 9.5% increase from the previous year.
The company is looking to meet particularly strong demand for its Exmor and Exmor R sensors used in smartphones and digital-still cameras. The Exmor R has sold well due to rising interest for cameras capable of shooting in low light.
Together with Sony's plan to increase production at its existing plant at Kumamoto Prefecture near the Nagasaki plant, the latest outlays will help boost the company's image sensor production capacity to 50,000 wafers a month by March 2012, from the current 25,000.
The plan also highlights Sony's divergent strategies toward its various consumer electronics businesses. Although it is focused on keeping its profitable digital-camera business in-house, the company has decided to sell production facilities and increase outsourcing in its struggling television operations.
To fund part of the new investment, Sony said it plans to take advantage of government subsidies aimed at encouraging companies to invest in environmentally friendly businesses.

Disclaimer: All information on this news has been compiled from their respective official websites or through public domain sites and leading newspapers. Although, we have taken reasonable efforts to provide you with accurate information, but we assumes no responsibility for the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of the Information and would advise you to verify it from the official product provider. We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct. If you would like to advertise on our site please contact us