The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has filed a lawsuit against Sony Electronics Inc., claiming the electronics giant has infringed on its patents on digital TV technology, the U.S. affiliate of Sony Corp. said Tuesday.
The lawsuit, filed at a federal court in Massachusetts, alleges that Sony Electronics infringed four patented digital TV specifications MIT engineers developed in the early 1990s together with U.S. electronic makers.
Officials at Sony Electronics acknowledged that the company has been sued by MIT but declined comment on grounds that the matter is now in litigation.
Sony Electronics, based in New Jersey, has been selling digital TVs in the U.S. market since 1998. Prices range from $4,000 to $6,000 per set.