Matsushita files patent suit against CMC Magnetics

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, charging that DVD discs made by CMC Magnetics Corp. (CMC) infringed its patents. The lawsuit also named two U.S. affiliates of CMC—Hotan Corp. and KHypermedia Corp.

According to Matsushita, they have been negotiating in good faith with CMC to license the patents since fall of 2004. In addition, a license under Matsushita's essential DVD patents was available to the defendants through the DVD6C patent pool since fall of 2003.

Best known by its Panasonic brand name, Matsushita is one of the leaders in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business and industrial needs.