The ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) digital TV standard has always been about trying to kill off ISDB-T (Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial) in Asia and Latin America to form a global broadcasting technology, but that patent-heavy push, and the subsequent rise in fees, has come back to bite six organizations – following a lawsuit from the US subsidiary of Chinese electronics firm Haier Group, alleging antitrust. The firms under fire are TV manufacturers Samsung Electronics, Panasonic, LG Electronics and its US arm Zenith Electronics, and Philips, plus the Columbia University Trust Committee and patent pool licensing group MPEG LA, of which the accused companies are all members. Haier America Trading has accused these of monopolization of ATSC patents, conspiracy to…