Sony Corporation announced today that it had filed a lawsuit to prevent Lavcon, Inc. (also trading as KLH Audio Systems) from copying the unique design of a Sony home theater system model (DAV-S500). The complaint charges KLH with design patent and copyright infringement. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. KLH recently began selling a home theater system (model KLH HA 9000) including a DVD/CD player that is virtually identical in appearance to Sony's DAV-S500 model.

Sony has been granted a design patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (Pat. No. D460,063 S) that protects the design of this DVD player component of Sony's DAV-S500 home theater system.

"Sony is known as a brand that provides a superior experience for the user, both for its state-of-the art technology and for its distinctive design elements," said Yoshinori Yamamoto, President of Home Audio Company, Sony Corporation. "Part of Sony's success with our home theater products results from our distinctive and unique design. Sony takes protection of its intellectual property very seriously and has zero-tolerance for any attempts to exploit our success by producing products that copy our unique Sony design."

The lawsuit demands that KLH immediately:

" Cease manufacturing and selling its HA9000 model DVD/CD player; and
" Recall all such unsold systems from its distributors and sellers.