KENWOOD completely wins lawsuit regarding copyright infringement (copying of a printed circuit board of wireless radio equipment) in Taiwan
Aims to use this successful case to curb manufacturing and sale of copycat products

KENWOOD Corporation^* (President and CEO: Kazuo Shiohata; Head Office: Hachioji-shi, Tokyo) hereby announces that it has won a lawsuit regarding the artwork copyright infringement (copying of a printed circuit board) on its wireless radio equipment, which was filed with the Banciao Summary Court in Taiwan against Ham Radio Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “Ham Radio Company”) in Taiwan.

* On October 1, 2008, KENWOOD Corporation became a wholly-owned subsidiary of JVC KENWOOD Holdings Inc., a joint holding company established through a share transfer following the management integration of KENWOOD Corporation and Victor Company of Japan, Limited.

In September 2004, KENWOOD determined that the wireless radio equipment made by Shenzhen HYT Science & Technology Co., Ltd. in China (hereinafter “HYT Company”), HYT TC-268S/368S, which were imported and sold by Ham Radio Company, had infringed the copyright of a four-layered printed circuit board that was used in KENWOOD’s wireless radio equipment TK-2107/3107. We filed a complaint to the Banciao Summary Court in Taiwan, requesting that the sale of the copycat products be stopped and asking for compensation in the amount of NT$200,000 (equivalent to about US$5,900). Thereafter, the case was transferred from the Banciao Summary Court to the Taiwan Banciao District Court. After going through the necessary procedures, which included having the expert appraisals in the field of copyright, the court issued the following Judgment to the Ham Radio Company and its representative in the first trial held in February 2008.

* The amount was converted at 33.7NT$ to 1US$.

The fact that the Taiwanese court acknowledged that the printed circuit board which is used in the wireless radio equipment made by HYT Company, HYT TC-268S/368S, is a copycat product of the printed circuit board that is used in KENWOOD’s wireless radio equipment, TK-2107/3107, will be a significant power in suppressing companies which manufacture and sell similar copycat products not only in Taiwan but also worldwide. KENWOOD will continue to make all-out efforts to eliminate the copycat products that are being distributed across the world.

KENWOOD is taking a firm stance in its confrontation of companies that produce counterfeit or imitation goods by identifying them and appealing to the government authorities or filing lawsuit. We will retain our basic stance of protecting consumers and the interests of KENWOOD throughout the world and will continue to strongly promote activities against these illicit companies and imitation product manufacturers to eliminate infringement of our intellectual property rights.