The tit-for-tat battle between LG and Samsung has another chapter after Samsung, fresh from being served a patent suit from its rival, moved to have seven of LG’s display-related patents annulled in Korea.
Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panel technologies, which underpin the display system in a number of top smartphones, tablets and other devices, are the center of the spat, the latest round of which saw Samsung today confirm its aim to take down the patents. The firm says it contacted courts last week to have the patents dissolved because, it claims, they are neither original nor innovative.
A Samsung spokesperson told the AFP that its moves were “typical legal steps to defend a company’s stance in a patent infringement suit.”
The battle between these two has been cooking up in recent months and September saw LG crank things up when it sought an injunction against some of Samsung’s flagship devices, including the Galaxy S III, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 and the Galaxy Note. That development came just weeks after Samsung itself took action in response to a product leak last year which, it says, saw LG deceptively obtain details of 18 “confidential technologies”.
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The Korean giant is reported to be seeking 1 billion won (circa $920,000) in compensation for each technology.
The issues kicked off in 2011, when 11 researchers connected with Samsung Display were held on charges of leaking confidential details from the firm.
LG has repeatedly professed its innocence and involvement in the incident. Samsung pressed its rival for an apology earlier this year, but LG promptly responded with a threat to sue for defamation.
Samsung has, of course, taken the biggest patent blow of the year, which was delivered when a US jury ordered it to pay Apple $1.05 billion for infringing upon a series of patents with its smartphones and tablets.
While Samsung will find out which devices from the ruling will face sales injunctions at a hearing next month, its brouhaha with LG looks set to continue on into the new year.
Headline image via Jung Yeon Je/AFP/Getty Images
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