ATLANTA: Cable set-top box maker Scientific-Atlanta announced that the US International Trade Commission has ruled in its favour in a suit by Gemstar-TV Guide International brought against it, Pioneer Corporation and related entities, EchoStar Communications and SCI Systems.

Gemstar had sued the two companies alleging that their set-top boxes infringed on Gemstar's patents for interactive programming guides for television. In his initial deposition Judge Luckern found that the respondents do not infringe Gemstar's patents and that one of Gemstar's patents was unenforceable for failure to name a co-inventor. Judge Luckern also found that Gemstar had engaged in patent misuse, a company release states.

In its decision, the ITC determined not to review any issues regarding patent infringement or co-inventorship. By declining to review those issues, the ITC adopts the findings of the Initial Determination that S-A's products do not infringe the patents in issue. The ITC determined to take no position on the issue of Gemstar's patent misuse. In light of these determinations, the Commission has concluded that there is no violation of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 by Scientific-Atlanta, the release says.