Sony has called for imports of LG phones into the US that allegedly abuse its patented technology to be banned. The Japanese giant has filed a patent infringement complaint against the South Korean vendor (and its US subsidiaries) with the US International Trade Commission (ITC), claiming that LG is illegally using seven of its patents. According to the ITC filing, the patents include technology used for bandwidth allocation, image capture, audio recording, network management and the method for associating photos with mobile phone numbers. Sony noted that many other handset vendors – including Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson – already license the patented technology in question. According to Bloomberg, Sony has also filed a lawsuit against LG in a US District Court in Los Angeles, but it is unclear if this case refers to the same complaints.

Sony joins a long list of technology firms in the mobile space that have recently taken legal action to protect intellectual property: Apple, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia and HTC are all currently involved in patent dispute cases. However, Sony’s attempt to block LG’s US exports is almost certain to be contested by the South Korean firm. “Our legal team has acknowledged the matter. LG has begun seeking to find the right measures over the recent legal issue,’’ Na Joo-young, a spokeswoman for LG Electronics, told The Korea Times.