LG Electronics sues Chinese TV maker Hisense over patent violation

LG Electronics said Tuesday it has filed a lawsuit against Hisense with a US court, accusing the Chinese TV maker of infringing four of its patents.

The South Korean tech giant claims that most of the Hisense TV models being sold in the US use as many as four of its patented technologies.

They include those that improve user interface and speed up data transmission based on Wi-Fi.

In the suit filed with the District Court of California, LG demanded Hisense stop using its patented technologies and pay damages. 

Hisense was the world’s fourth-largest TV provider by sales in the first half of the year. It has been aggressively expanding its operations in the US.

Meanwhile, the Korean firm has stepped up measures to counter patent violations by both global and domestic rivals.

In September, it sued three European home appliance manufacturers at a court in Munich for allegedly infringing its ice-making patents for side-by-side refrigerators.

“The company will take stern measures against patent infringements in order to protect its intellectual property,” said Jeon Saeng-gyu, executive vice president at LG Electronics.

By Song Su-hyun (song@heraldcorp.com)