A court in Shanghai yesterday accepted a lawsuit filed by a local man against Japanese firm Nikon.

The plaintiff, surnamed Xu, is accusing the camera manufacturer of false advertising with regard to a Nikon D600 camera he bought for 10,880 yuan (US$1,750), the Huangpu District People's Court said.

Nikon has been at the center of a nationwide row over its D600 model, after owners complained of images being ruined by block spots. On March 16, it was ordered to remove the camera from sale across China.

While Nikon complied and has since offered consumers replacement models, Xu is not satisfied. He said he is the victim of false advertising and is demanding compensation.

Xu said Nikon suggests in its advertisements that the D600 is of decent quality, yet after owning one for just a few months he experienced the black spot problem. The product description is therefore misleading, he said.

The court yesterday accepted Xu's case, under the category of a contract dispute, but did not say when it will be heard.

Owners of Nikon D600 cameras have been complaining of black specks on their images since October, but the row escalated after the subject was covered by a news program aired on CCTV on March 15, World Consumer Rights Day.