Smartphone rivals battle it out in court

Almost all of LG's popular smartphones, tablet computers and smartwatches are powered by Android software made by the US tech giant.

Almost all of LG's popular smartphones, tablet computers and smartwatches are powered by Android software made by the US tech giant.

Published Nov 19, 2012

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Seoul - South Korea's Samsung has hit back at rival LG in a patents row over next-generation display panels, with both firms accusing the other of stealing technology and senior staff to grab a lead in the market.

Samsung Display, an affiliate of Samsung Electronics, asked a Seoul patents court last week to annul seven patents related to organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panel technologies held by LG, a company spokesman said on Monday.

Samsung argued that the technologies lacked the originality and innovation to warrant a patent.

“These are typical legal steps to defend a company's stance in a patent infringement suit,” the Samsung spokesman told AFP.

The move came after LG Display - one of the world's top flat-screen TV makers - filed a patents suit in September against the two Samsung units for allegedly infringing seven of its OLED-related technologies.

LG said that five of Samsung's products, including its global hit Galaxy S-series smartphones and tablet computer Galaxy Tab, infringed its patents.

Later in the same month, Samsung filed a court complaint accusing LG of luring away senior Samsung OLED researchers even though they had signed contracts preventing them working for a rival. - AFP

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