LG seeks to ban PS3 from USA

Blu-ray patent disputed

LG Electronics has lodged a patent infringement complaint against Japanese giant Sony asking that the Playstation3 be banned from the USA.

LG claims the console infringes four LG patents related to the playback of Blu-ray discs. The Korean firm's complaint filed with the US International Trade Commission says: "certain electronic devices having a Blu-Ray Disc player and components thereof", infringe patents held by LG, and names the PlayStation 3 specifically.

LG said it wants "a permanent exclusion order... excluding from entry to the United States Sony's Accused Products that infringe one or more claims of the asserted patents."

LG also aimed a second lawsuit at Sony Bravia televisions with Blu-ray playback functionality, Bloomberg reports.

The action looks like a tit-for-tat move after Sony filed an ITC complaint against LG at the end of December over a mobile phone patents. "It's like 'you touch my smartphones and I bomb your game console,'" blogged Intellectual property campaigner Florian Mueller.