Samsung Electronics has replied to a patent-infringement lawsuit filed against
it by Sharp by lodging complaints of its own with the U.S. International Trade
Commission and the Tokyo District Court, it said Thursday.
Samsung filed the
U.S. complaint on Dec. 21 and alleged that Sharp's
LCD products infringe upon four of its U.S. patents. The patents were not detailed
in Samsung's statement. It asked the trade regulator to launch an investigation
into the complaints and, as is typical in such cases, block Sharp from importing
into the U.S. products that contain the LCDs in question. Such products could
include TVs, monitors, laptop PCs and cell phones.
The ITC will now examine the complaint and decide whether to move forward with
a formal investigation.
Samsung followed the U.S. complaint with a complaint lodged in Tokyo on Wednesday
in which it alleged that LCD televisions sold by Sharp in Japan incorporate
LCD modules that infringe upon two of Samsung's Japanese patents. As in the
U.S. complaint, Samsung asked the court to halt manufacturing and sales of the
infringing products in Japan.
On Dec. 12, Sharp filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against Samsung in the
Seoul Central District Court. The lawsuit alleges the LCD modules and televisions
manufactured and/or sold by Samsung in South Korea infringe upon three Sharp
patents. The Korean patents concern technology that allows high brightness and
high-speed response as well as a wide viewing angle, Sharp said in a statement
at the time.
The lawsuit was the second filed by Sharp against Samsung.
On Aug. 6, Sharp filed a suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District
of Texas alleging LCD modules manufactured by Samsung and LCD TVs, computer
monitors and mobile phones that incorporate the modules infringed on its U.S.
patents: 4,649,383,
5,760,855,
6,052,162,
7,027,024
and 7,057,689.
Samsung said Thursday that it is also pursuing lawsuits against Sharp in Delaware
and Texas.
