omniture

Actions Semiconductor Applies for Re-Examination of SigmaTel's Patents

Actions Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
2006-11-28 09:35 1429

ZHUHAI, China, Nov. 27 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Actions Semiconductor Co.,

Ltd. (Actions) (Nasdaq: ACTS) announced that it has petitioned to the United

States Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") to re-examine US patents

6,633,187 and 6,366,522 held by SigmaTel.

In September 2006, the United States International Trade Commission (the

"ITC") issued a ruling (ITC-337-TA-538), that certain Actions' integrated

circuits, or ICs, designed for audio processing ICs infringe SigmaTel's

patents 6,633,187 and 6,366,522. Actions is now seeking re-examination of the

patents given SigmaTel's overly broad assertions of the claims.

In addition to this recent request at the USPTO, Actions also announced in

October that it filed a complaint in Shenzhen Intermediate Peoples' Court in

China, that certain SigmaTel products, including STMP 3502, 3503, 3505, 3506,

3510, and 3520, infringe a key digital audio processing technology patent

owned by Actions. Actions seeks to halt the infringement of their patent in

China by prohibiting the design, manufacture, sale and use of the infringing

ICs, as well as the devices containing SigmaTel's infringing ICs. This

complaint also requested a series of injunction and border detention orders,

enforced by China customs, that would prohibit the importation and the

exportation of the infringing ICs and the devices manufactured by third

parties that contain SigmaTel's infringing ICs.

Based on revenues, Actions is the largest fabless IC company in China

according to the China Semiconductor Industry Association. Consistent with its

commitment to innovation, Actions has built a strong R&D team, successfully

developed a broad portfolio of products, and has rapidly grown and emerged as

a leader of the industry. Actions believes in promoting ingenuity through the

protection of intellectual property and complying with all applicable laws,

rules, and regulations in all jurisdictions in which Actions conducts

business. Not only does Actions emphasize the protection of its own

intellectual property, but it also respects the rights of others.

Actions is grateful for the continuing support from its clients, suppliers

and other partners. The Company will continue to act as an industry leader,

providing innovative mixed-signal and multimedia SoC solutions for portable

consumer electronics with a compelling price-to performance value proposition.

About Actions Semiconductor

Actions Semiconductor is one of China's leading fabless semiconductor

companies that provides mixed-signal and multimedia SoC solutions for portable

consumer electronics. Actions Semiconductor products include SoCs, firmware,

software, solution development kits, as well as detailed specifications of

other required components and the providers of those components. Actions

Semiconductor also provides total product and technology solutions that allow

customers to quickly introduce new portable consumer electronics to the mass

market in a cost effective way. The company is headquartered in Zhuhai, China,

with offices in Beijing and Shenzen. For more information, please visit the

Actions Semiconductor website at http://www.actions-semi.com .

"Safe Harbor" Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act

of 1995

Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are

forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities

Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements, including financial

projections and forecasts, involve risks and uncertainties that could cause

Actions Semiconductor's actual results to differ materially from our current

expectations. Factors that could cause Actions Semiconductor's results to

differ materially from those set forth in these forward-looking statements

include customers' cancellation or modification of their orders; our failure

to accurately forecast demand for our products; the loss of, or a significant

reduction in orders from, any of our significant customers; fluctuations in

our operating results; our inability to develop and sell new products; defects

in or failures of our products; the expense and uncertainty involved in our

customer design-win efforts; the financial viability of the distributors of

our products; consumer demand; worldwide economic and political conditions;

fluctuations in our costs to manufacture our products; our reliance on third

parties to manufacture, test, assemble and ship our products; our ability to

retain and attract key personnel; our ability to compete with our competitors;

and our ability to protect our intellectual property rights and not infringe

the intellectual property rights of others. Other factors that may cause our

actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking

statements contained in this press release and that may affect our prospects

in general are described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange

Commission, including our Registration Statement on Form F-1 related to our

initial public offering and secondary offering. Actions Semiconductor

undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to

reflect subsequent events or changed assumptions or circumstances.

Source: Actions Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
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