2nd UPDATE: Samsung Electronics Files LCD Patent Lawsuits Against AUO, Its Customers
2011年6月2日 - 6:39PM
Dow Jones News
Samsung Electronics Co. (005930.SE), the world's biggest
supplier of liquid-crystal-display panels by sales, said Thursday
it filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission
against AU Optronics Corp. (AUO) on June 1, alleging the
Taiwan-based electronics company and its customers imported and
sold LCD devices that infringed a number of Samsung patents.
Samsung is increasingly using the courts to seek protection for
its patents as own-brand products have become a bigger part of its
business. Such lawsuits are common in the highly competitive
technology industry, with global electronics makers looking to
protect their patents for products such as flat panel displays,
handsets and televisions.
AUO spokeswoman Yawen Hsiao said: "We are reviewing the matter
and will take the necessary action to protect the interest of our
company and of our customers."
The AUO customers who infringed Samsung's patents are Sanyo
Electric Co. (SANYY), Acer Inc. (2353.TW) and a Taiwan-based
electronics maker BenQ Corp, Samsung spokesman Nam Ki-yung said. An
Acer spokeswoman declined to comment and a Sanyo Electric spokesman
in Tokyo also declined to comment, saying the company hasn't yet
confirmed whether it has been sued by Samsung. BenQ was not
immediately available for comment.
Samsung said it also filed a suit against the Taiwanese company
in the U.S. District Court of Delaware with the same allegations as
in the complaint to the trade commission.
"In the USITC complaint, Samsung seeks an order prohibiting the
import and sales of these infringing LCD devices, which are used in
numerous LCD televisions, LCD monitors, and notebooks with LCD
screens," Samsung said in a statement.
"Samsung's Delaware complaint seeks damages associated with
infringement of Samsung's asserted patents."
Separately, Samsung is also seeking damages associated with
alleged infringement by AUO and some of its customers of two
additional Samsung patents.
Samsung spokesman Nam Ki-yung said the firm has also asked the
Northern District of California for a legal judgement that certain
AUO-owned patents aren't infringed by any Samsung products.
"AUO hasn't filed any lawsuits against Samsung for now, but
there was talk that AUO is insisting that Samsung had infringed
some of their patents over LCD technologies," the spokesman
said.
-By Jung-Ah Lee, Dow Jones Newswires; 822-3700-1907;
jung-ah.lee@dowjones.com
--Juro Osawa in Tokyo and Lorraine Luk in Taiwan contributed to
this story.