Samsung Electronics Co launched legal actions against AU Optronics Corp (AUO, 友達光電) over alleged LCD patent infringement and warned that it would protect the fruits of its investments in research and development.
Samsung, the world’s biggest LCD manufacturer, said yesterday in a statement that it filed a complaint the day before with the US International Trade Commission (USITC) against AUO and its customers for allegedly importing and selling LCD devices used in products such as TVs that “infringe a number of Samsung patents.”
Samsung also said it filed a legal action against the Taiwanese company in the US District Court of Delaware over alleged infringement of the same patents included in the USITC complaint.
SEPARATE COMPLAINT
Samsung also filed a separate complaint in the US District Court for the Northern District of California for alleged infringement of additional patents.
In an apparent preliminary move to prevent possible counter action by AUO, Samsung is also asking that court declare that its products do not infringe “certain” AUO-owned patents.
AUO said in an e-mail that it is reviewing the matter and will “take the necessary action to protect the interest of our company and of our customers.”
AUO’s customers are Sanyo Electric Co (三洋電機), Acer Inc (宏碁) and BenQ Corp (明基), said Nam Ki-yung, a Seoul-based spokesman at Samsung.
A public relations official from Acer said yesterday the company is reviewing the issue and will actively respond to the patent infringement allegation in a bid to protect the interests of the company and shareholders, while BenQ declined to comment, saying it had not yet received formal documents regarding the matter.
A Sanyo spokesman in Tokyo also declined to comment, saying the company had not yet confirmed whether it has been sued by Samsung.
The South Korean technology and consumer electronics giant’s accusations against AUO come less than two months after Apple Inc filed a lawsuit against Samsung in the US.
Apple alleges Samsung’s Galaxy line of smartphones and tablet computers copy Apple’s iPad and iPhone.
Samsung subsequently announced it was suing the Cupertino, California-based company in South Korea, Japan, Germany and the US, alleging the violation of its rights to smartphone and other patents.
Samsung shares fell 3.1 percent yesterday to close at 883,000 won, while those of AUO fell 1.5 percent to NT$23.20.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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