MELBOURNE, Florida, April 24, 1997 -- Harris Corporation, the nation's leading supplier of television transmitters, will seek to set aside a Federal District Court jury decision regarding alleged patent infringement of a circuit, which was used in one model of the company's earlier analog UHF television transmitters. The decision does not affect owners of existing Harris transmitters and the technology is no longer used in Harris' analog transmitters. The technology also has never been a part of the company's advanced digital transmitters designed for the fast-growing Digital TV market.
On Friday, a jury in Philadelphia determined that the audio correction circuit used in a previous model of Harris' analog television transmitter infringed a U.S. patent issued in 1993 to Comark Communications, Inc. The jury awarded Comark $7.7 million in damages.
Harris obtained a U.S. patent in 1995 for its own version of the circuit, which was used to minimize interference and improve sound quality in one model of its analog UHF Sigma IOT transmitter. Harris subsequently developed a new advanced circuit to replace this older technology in its analog transmitters.
"We strongly deny any liability and believe that our technology did not infringe the patent," said Richard L. Ballantyne, Harris vice president and general counsel. "We plan to aggressively seek to have the jury decision set aside and, if necessary, appeal the ruling to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals."
Harris is the number one supplier of television transmitters in the U.S. and the first company to produce a commercially available DTV transmitter. Last year, a Harris transmitter became the first in the U.S. to broadcast commercial digital television signals. The company also developed the RF Test Bed, which was used to evaluate all digital television systems proposed for the U.S. market. Harris also recently announced plans to establish a digital television research and development center and conduct a nationwide digital television information initiative to prepare broadcasters for the conversion to DTV.
The company also has signed agreements to provide DTV transmitter equipment to a number of television groups.
Harris Corporation, with worldwide sales of more than $3.6 billion, is an international communications and electronics company that provides a wide range of products and services such as wireless and personal communications, digital television, health care information, multi-media communications, automotive electronics, transportation, business information, defense communications and information, and Lanier office products.
Editors Note: For further information, contact Jim Burke, Harris Corporation, at 407/727-9126. Additional information on Harris is also available on the Internet through our World Wide Web address: http://www.harris.com