Analog gets injunction against China firm

Analog Devices, the US chip maker with Indian headquarters here, has obtained an interim injunction from the Delhi High Court against China-based Shanghai Belling Company (Belling) and its India-based distributor.

Analog Devices has alleged that both Belling and its India-based distributor have infringed the copyright and valid patents held by Analog Devices Inc.

The count has also asked the India-based distributor of Belling to immediately stop purchasing and distributing the latter's energy metering semiconductor chips.

Commenting on the issue, Ashok Kamath, managing director of Analog Devices India said, "For over twenty years, we have worked with the Indian technology community and built a reputation for high-quality products in India. Counterfeiting our technology and misusing the Analog Devices name is not acceptable to us. We are committed to ensuring our customers are protected against counterfeiters of our chips and technology."

The application states that Belling has copied ADI's energy metering chips and is wrongfully trying to pass off the counterfeit chips as substitutes for ADI's chips.

"Belling," the complaint says, "pirated the technology and sold the counterfeit devices to meter manufacturers throughout India."

"We are now entering into a new phase with the Indian legal system that will test whether the government's desire to attract technology development to the country is support by a willingness to prosecute and penalize intellectual property violations accordingly," William Wise, corporate counsel for ADI, said.