Maxell Nets Patent Infringement Probe of Vizio Smart TV Imports

Maxell Ltd. convinced a global trade tribunal to probe whether certain Vizio Inc. smart TVs violate a handful of patents held by the Japanese electronics maker.

The US International Trade Commission said Tuesday that it will investigate whether Vizio TV models violate US Patent Nos. 8,549,109, 8,170,394, 10,958,971, and 11,017,815, which cover video displays, user profiles, and other features.

According to Maxell’s Sept. 15 complaint, Vizio “has been specifically aware of its infringement of certain of the asserted patents since at least 2018,” when the companies discussed but failed to reach a licensing agreement. Maxell preceded ...