LG Electronics prevailed in a decision by the Regional Court of Mannheim Landgericht Mannheim) that found no patent infringement in a case initiated by United Video Properties Inc., a subsidiary of Rovi Corp.

On December 18, 2012,the Regional Courtruled in favor of LG in the first instance (Docket No. 2 O 104/12) that the TVs named in the complaint do not infringe European PatentNumber 0 775 417 as alleged by United Video Properties. The TV sets were manufactured by LG Electronics and distributed in Germany by its local subsidiary LG Electronics Deutschland GmbH.

The judgment can still be appealed by the plaintiff.

"We were successful in convincing the Mannheim Court not to follow in the footsteps of another German court that ruled against a major European TV manufacturer in a very similar case," said Joo-sup Kim of LG's Intellectual Property Center. "A finding against LG would have sent the wrong message that innovation benefitting consumers is not welcome in Germany."

European Patent 0 775 417 deals with an improved electronic television program schedule guide system that is described as being more user-friendly and more efficient than competing systems. The patent has been controversial for being too broad and LG and other companies have raised nullity actions before the German Federal Patent Court. However, the validity of the patent did not play a role in the Mannheim case.