China patent lawsuit against Best Buy may be a first

A new patent lawsuit against Best Buy and other major retailers may be the first ever filed by a Chinese company in the United States, Austrailia's Sydney Morning Herald reports last Friday.

Changzhou Asian Endergonic Electronic Technology claims the retailers are infringing on its patent on a dashboard GPS mount by selling products by one of its rivals, which is also being sued for infringement.

The Herald says the lawsuit reflects the growing use of the U.S. patent system by companies and entrepreneurs in China -- applications by mainland residents surged 12-fold between 2000 and 2008, according to the U.S. patent office.

One lawyer says Chinese companies are becoming sophisticated enough to take advantage of the U.S. system. Best Buy didn't respond to the newspaper's request for comment.