LG Electronics files suit against home appliance firm Beko

LG Electronics said Wednesday it has filed a lawsuit against Turkish home appliance maker Beko over allegedly infringing on an LG Electronics patent related to its laundry machine.

The complaints were filed Monday with the Mannheim District Court in Germany, claiming that the subsidiary of Turkey’s largest consumer electronics company Arcelik has infringed on the patent related to its TrueSteam technology.

According to LG Electronics, the Turkish home appliance firm has made unauthorized use of the laundry machine interface, which could automatically detect heat-sensitive items and suspend the steam function to protect items from damage.

The company‘s TrueSteam technology is featured in a number of home appliances of LG, including washing machines, dryers, dishwashers and LG’s Styler.

“LG Electronics will take strong actions to protect the company’s intellectual property,” said LG‘s patent center head Jeon Saeng-gyu.

Earlier in September last year, LG Electronics sued Arcelik, Beko and Grundig, claiming that the three firms violated its patents related to its ice-making system built into the door of a freezer.

LG Electronics holds around 400 international patents related to ice-making technology, the company previously said.

By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)