LG Electronics wins fridge patent dispute with Whirlpool

LG Electronics Inc., South Korea’s leading consumer electronics maker, said Wednesday that it won a patent dispute with Whirlpool Corp. over technology used in refrigerators.

In 2009, Whirlpool, a major American producer of home appliances, filed complaints against LG Electronics with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, claiming that it developed technology used to make a water and ice dispenser in refrigerators earlier than LG.

The U.S. patent agency did not accept Whirlpool’s claim as it failed to provide enough evidence to prove its patent rights, according to the Korean company.

“The ruling will help us gain the upper hand in pushing for aggressive marketing and in dealing with other patent disputes under way,” LG Electronics said in a statement.

Whirlpool is allowed to request the U.S. patent agency to review the ruling within one month, and if rejected, it can lodge an appeal against LG to a high court.

The South Korean company has been engaged in three cases of refrigerator-related patent disputes with Whirlpool in the U.S. (Yonhap News)