Sharp Corporation filed a lawsuit on August 6, 2007 alleging infringements of five of its patents on LCD-related technology by Samsung and its US subsidiaries Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA) and Samsung Telecommunications America (STA).
The complaint alleges that the following products infringe LCD-related patents that are owned by Sharp: liquid crystal display (LCD) modules manufactured by Samsung and sold in the US by Samsung; LCD TVs and LCD monitors which incorporate the LCD modules manufactured by Samsung and are sold in the US by SEA; and mobile phones which incorporate the LCD modules manufactured by Samsung and are sold in the US by STA. In the complaint, Sharp requests that the Court award compensatory damages to Sharp and prohibit the sales of the infringing products. Sharp also requests a jury trial.
The five patents involved with the lawsuit are US Patent Numbers 4,649,383, 5,760,855, 6,052,162, 7,027,024 and 7,057,689, all of which relate to LCD modules. The suit was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.
Sharp has negotiated in good faith with Samsung for an LCD patent license since 2006, but has regrettably been unable to resolve this matter through negotiations. As a result, the company was compelled to file the current lawsuit to protect its intellectual property.