U.S. to review complaint against Itasca-based Knowles

Analog Devices Inc.'s patent infringement complaint seeking to block imports to the U.S. of Dover Corp.'s Knowles Electronics unit will be investigated by a U.S. trade agency.

The U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington said it will consider the complaint filed by Analog Devices earlier this month and ordered that an administrative law judge look into the company's request that the Knowles imports be barred.

Analog Devices claims Knowles' SiSonic microphones are manufactured by violating Analog's patents. The claim seeks an exclusion order to block the imports.

On Dec. 16, the ITC said it would look into Dover's own complaint seeking to block imports of Analog Devices' silicon microphones used in electronics.

Both companies also sued each other in federal courts, with Analog Devices filing a complaint against Itasca-based Knowles in Delaware on Nov. 3, claiming violation of four microchip patents and seeking unspecified damages.

The case is Certain Mems Devices and Products Containing Same, 337-700, U.S. International Trade Commission (Washington).