LG Display sues Samsung over patent infringement

LG Display Co., the world's No. 2 maker of liquid crystal displays, filed a lawsuit Thursday against tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. over alleged violation of its patents.

In a press conference in Seoul, LG Display claimed Samsung Electronics, the world's largest smartphone manufacturer, had infringed seven of its patents on organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panel technologies.

"The company filed a damage suit (against Samsung) to protect its indigenous technologies that took an enormous amount of money and people to develop over a long period of time," an LG official told the press conference.

"Samsung Electronics and Samsung Mobile Display must immediately stop using patented technologies and pay due amount in damages for their use of patented technologies," the official said.

The company did not reveal how much it is seeking in damages, only noting Samsung's five products, including its global hit Galaxy S-series smart phones and tablet computer Galaxy Tab, infringed its patents.

Samsung, calling the law suit a scheme to overcome LG's own difficulties, said it will file a countersuit if necessary.

The suit, the company said, "is an attempt by LG to overcome the negative image created by its systematic leak of Samsung's OLED technologies."

Samsung Electronics' affiliate Samsung Mobile Display Co. filed an injunction against LG Display earlier in the month, claiming LG intentionally made public its 18 OLED technologies by offering the related information to a third party.

"The company will first carefully review LG's claims, but will not hesitate to take counter legal actions if necessary," Samsung said.

LG Display is an affiliate of LG Electronics Inc., the country's No. 2 mobile phone maker after Samsung Electronics. LG Display also competes with Samsung Electronics for the top position in the global market for displays.

The damage suit against Samsung comes amid the company's long and heated battle with its U.S. competitor Apple Inc., which, too, claims the South Korean company's Galaxy S smartphones violated some of its key technology and design patents.

A U.S. federal court ruled in favor of Apple on Aug. 24 after its nine-member jury awarded the Silicon Valley-based Apple US$1 billion in damages.

Samsung continues to fight an uphill battle after the United States' International Trade Commission rejected its own damage claim against Apple earlier this month. (Yonhap News)