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 Patent News |
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| Subject : Samsung LCD Production Dodges Disputes |
| Date |
2009-09-30 |
Visit |
4674 |
Samsung Electronics said Sunday it has been producing liquid crystal display (LCD) panels that are free of potential patent disputes since early this month.
The industry leader also clarified that it will continue selling TVs and PCs in the United States as the firm has been adopting different technologies to make the LCD panels.
LCD panels are used in electronics devices such as TVs and mobile phones.
"We've changed realignment structures for LCD panels, enabling them to enhance picture quality and response time. The new technology is currently being put into large-sized LCD panels such as 46- and 52-inch ones," a company spokesman, Kim Choon-gon, said.
"The latest flat-screen technology will be used for all LCD TV models that Samsung is managing in the global market by the end of this year," Kim added.
Such remarks came after the latest U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) ruling over LCD patents.
That decision was not a "good one" for the Suwon, Gyeonggi Province-based technology giant, according to Kim.
The USITC recently ruled that Samsung was in violation of Sharp's patent rights - a ruling that might result in an import ban on Samsung LCD TVs.
The agency said it will consider the effect of a ban on "competitive conditions in the U.S. economy."
The ruling, which is subject to further arguments to be submitted by both companies, could affect the just-under-20-percent of the U.S. market in LCD TVs held by Samsung.
"If Samsung loses the patent suit filed by the Japanese company at the final ruling that is slated for Nov. 9, two more months will be needed for an actual import ban on Samsung LCD TVs in the U.S. market. We will complete the process as planned to continue exports of our products there," Kim said, adding that Samsung will be completely free of using Sharp's patent technologies from January 2010.
Past rulings have gone against both Sharp and the U.S. budget TV maker, Vizio. Vizio and Samsung have been vying for the title of the leader of the U.S. market in LCD TVs.
Vizio's 20.5-percent market share bettered Samsung’s 19.9 percent in the most recent iSuppli rankings. Sharp came in seventh with a market share of 5 percent in the world’s largest consumer electronics market.
In June, Samsung won a ruling from the U.S. agency against Sharp over patented LCD technology.
The agency found that Sharp infringed one of Samsung's patents for its LCD televisions and displays and ordered a ban on their imports into the U.S. market.
Samsung had filed a complaint with the USITC in 2007 to investigate Sharp's products for infringing four of its patents.
Sharp filed a counter-claim in March 2008.
In March, Samsung won a LCD patent infringement suit against Sharp in the Tokyo District Court in Japan. In January, the USITC ruled that Sharp had infringed two Samsung LCD patents.
Officials at Sharp's South Korean office weren’t available for comment.
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