Samsung sues Sharp for alleged patent infringement

By Anastasia Tomazhenkova: Samsung Electronics Co. has fueled an intensifying legal battle over flat panel technology. It filed a complaint with U.S. authorities over alleged unfair trade practices by Japanese rival Sharp Corp.

Photo: Samsung sues Sharp for alleged patent infringement

Samsung claimed that Sharp and two U.S. subsidiaries imported and sold liquid crystal display products that infringe on four of Samsung's U.S. patents.

Earlier this month Sharp sued Samsung in a South Korean court, also alleging patent violations for LCDs. The company demanded damages and a halt to manufacturing and sales of affected TVs and display panels in South Korea.

In August, Sharp filed a lawsuit against Samsung in federal court in the U.S. state of Texas. Samsung claimed that it was pursuing federal lawsuits in Texas and Delaware against Sharp.

The endless string of lawsuits between the two world's biggest makers of LCD panels highlights the bruising competition to develop better technology for products like hot-selling flat screen TVs.

Samsung claims that the company has and will continue to vigorously protect itself against the infringement and unauthorized use of its intellectual property.

Samsung also said it asked the Tokyo District Court to prohibit the manufacture and sale in Japan of Sharp LCD TVs it claims incorporate technology that allegedly violates two Japanese patents owned by Samsung.

"Sharp is prepared to take appropriate legal countermeasures once it studies the complaints," company official Akinori Shibuya said from Osaka, where Sharp is headquartered, referring to both the trade commission filing and Samsung's lawsuits.

South Korean and Japanese electronics manufacturers have battled over alleged patent infringements in recent years.