Philips Concedes Import Ban Might Curb 4K Content Expansion
MPA “vastly overstates the scope and breadth” of the exclusion order Philips seeks at the International Trade Commission on Hisense, LG and TCL smart TVs and Dell, HP and Lenovo PCs for allegedly infringing high-bandwidth digital content protection patents (see…
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2010060047), posted Philips Thursday (login required) in docket 337-3492. “Requested relief would not implicate all digital video-capable devices using any HDCP technology.” Philips conceded exclusion might hinder lawful distribution of 4K content to wider audiences. ITC action would affect only branded devices with “HDCP 2+," not the older HDCP 1.4 version, said Philips. “Conspicuously for an industry group representing content producers,” MPA “altogether fails to differentiate” between the two versions, it said. HDCP 1.4 “enables the secure distribution” of 1080p and 720p digital HD content, and HDCP 2+ does so for ultra HD, it said. It’s false that content producers would lose copyright protection of their content if an exclusion order is issued, the company said. Copyright owners “at worst” might lose the ability to distribute their 4K content to “as many potential consumers,” it said: There would be “no hindrance to such content owners distributing the very same content at a marginally lower resolution” in 720p or 1080p. Though 4K smart TVs and computing devices “may be common on the market now,” native “luxury content” for viewing 4K on those products “is not widely available,” it said. “UHD content still has not been widely distributed or adopted by content producers and consumers.” MPA didn’t respond to questions.