Arris investigated for allegedly infringing on Sony set-top patents

Arris is being investigated by the U.S. International Trade Commission for possible patent infringements on pay-TV set tops and other equipment sold to Comcast, DirecTV and Genie.

The trade commission said in a statement that the probe is in response to a complaint filed by Sony Corp. The commission is looking to see whether Arris and its subsidiaries imported digital and satellite television products that infringe on Sony patents, Reuters reports

Arris had no comment for FierceCable. 

RELATED: Arris sued for Surfboard modem flaw

Having acquired Pace in 2015, Arris is the largest maker of pay-TV set tops.

The investigation marks an inauspicious week for Arris in the media. On Tuesday, it was revealed that Arris is being sued in California for connectivity problems related to its SB6190 Surfboard modem.

In early December, Intel deployed a firmware fix for the SB6190 after users complained about jitter and latency. The SB6190 wasn’t alone—other modems using Intel’s Puma 6 chipset have experienced similar issues. 

A suit (PDF) filed in a Northern California federal court by user Carlos Reyna, and obtained by DSL Reports, accused the leading cable-industry vendor of knowing about the defect, but shipping the SB6190, anyway. 

"By shipping modems with this defect, Arris sold consumer goods that were substantially below the quality generally available in the market, were not fit for the for the internet connectivity for which they were generally used, and were not adequately packaged and labeled,” the suit said. "Arris, therefore, has breached its implied warranty of merchantability in violation of the California Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act."