Morrison & Foerster Secures Major ITC Victory for Renesas

Morrison & Foerster secured a complete victory for client Renesas Electronics Corporation before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). In its final determination, the ITC affirmed the finding of the presiding administrative law judge (ALJ) that there was no violation of Section 337 with respect to all four patents asserted by Broadcom against Renesas and Renesas’s direct and indirect customers, including Toyota.

On June 12, 2018, the ITC began an investigation based on a complaint filed by Broadcom alleging that Renesas’ automotive systems-on-chip (SoCs), which are supplied to vehicle infotainment system manufacturers and then incorporated into Toyota vehicles, infringed four patents. Broadcom requested that the ITC issue remedy orders barring the importation into the United States of the entire supply chain—the SoCs, infotainment systems, and Toyota vehicles.

After a trial in June 2019, the ALJ issued an initial determination finding no violation on all asserted patents. On review, the ITC affirmed the ALJ’s finding of no violation. Renesas secured the total victory based on findings of non-infringement, invalidity, and/or lack of technical domestic industry for the asserted claims.

“We are pleased that the ITC ruled in favor of our client, Renesas, and its co-respondents, finding no violation of Section 337 on the patents asserted by Broadcom,” said Intellectual Property Litigation partner Dan Muino, who led the team for Renesas. “In the midst of a global pandemic, this ruling avoids disruptions to the supply of vehicles and infotainment systems to the U.S. market that could have resulted from Broadcom’s requested remedies.”

The MoFo team representing Renesas included partners Dan Muino, Mark Whitaker, Yuka Teraguchi, and Mary Prendergast; senior of counsel Brian Busey; senior patent counsel Takamitsu Fujiu; of counsel Fahd Patel and Shouvik Biswas; and associate Aaron Rauh.