Samsung escalates led strip patent dispute with Osram 14 Jun 2011Samsung LED has filed an LED patent-infringement lawsuit against Osram Opto Semiconductors in Korea, after denying the infringement claims in Osram’s prior legal action. Meanwhile, Osram says it is relaxed about Samsung's latest moves. Samsung LED, the Korea-based LED maker, has issued a statement about the LED patent infringement lawsuits filed against the company by Osram Opto Semiconductors. And as is usual in such cases, Samsung has filed counter-suits against its German rival.
Earlier this month, in United States (Federal Court in Delaware and the International Trade Commission) and in Germany (Federal Court in Hamburg). Osram claimed that Samsung LED has infringed (and is infringing) its LED lighting patents including patents related to white LEDs.
Samsung LED has stated its official position with regard to the Osram lawsuits, claiming that it has “never infringed” Osram's LED lighting patents.
The Korean company describes itself as “the leading company in the area of LED PKG [i.e. packaged led strip ] and BLU [backlighting units] for LCD display” and says that it has been “assiduous in developing its own core technologies and in protecting its own intellectual properties.
As a result, says Samsung LED, it owns hundreds of US patents as well as numerous patents related to core LED technologies. In fact, the company says it currently has about 700 US patents and patent applications and about 2000 Korean patents and patent applications.
Samsung LED files patent infringement lawsuit
On June 10, 2011, Samsung LED Co., Ltd. filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Osram Korea Co., Ltd. and two other defendants at the Seoul Central District Court requesting an injunction from unauthorized use of Samsung LED’s valuable intellectual property and money damages.
The defendants include Osram Korea and two companies that sell Osram’s products in Korea, Barun Electronics and Dabo Industrial System.
The eight patents-in-suit relate to led strip chip and package technology used in led strip lenses and high-power applications. For example, this technology has found wide use in LED headlights and LED lightings.
“We are developing evidence to show that Samsung LED is not infringing any valid claim of Osram’s patents, as well as evidence of Osram’s unauthorized use of our patents,” said Jun Sung Park, Vice President and the head of the IP and Legal Affairs Team at Samsung LED, who added, “we are evaluating every contingency and will vigorously defend our technology.”
Osram relaxed about Samsung actions
In response to the news of Samsung led strip 's actions, Osram said it is "relaxed about the move by the counter claimant."
In a , the German company said it regards Samsung’s move as "a typical counter attack of a defendant."
The German company also says it analyzed Samsung’s patent portfolio thoroughly before taking any legal action, and reached the conclusion that none of Samsung’s IP will cause a problem for any of Osram's LED products.
