Samsung Countersues Siemens Unit in South Korea Over Patents
A Samsung Electronics Co. affiliate filed a patent-infringement lawsuit in South Korea against Siemens AG (SIE)’s Osram unit over light-emitting diode technology.
Osram Korea Co. and two Korean sales agents of the German lighting maker were sued, Samsung LED Co. said on its website yesterday. The eight patents related to the suit include LED and packaging technology used in lighting such as headlights, Suwon, South Korea-based Samsung LED said.
The lawsuits, filed with the Seoul Central District Court on June 10, were in response to Osram’s complaints in the U.S. and Germany against Samsung over LED technology, Samsung LED said. The Korean company said June 8 it never infringed Osram’s LED lighting patents. Osram also filed complaints against LG Electronics Inc. (066570) over the LED technology used in televisions and lighting products.
“Osram is well prepared regarding possible steps by Samsung and is therefore relaxed about the move by the counter claimant,” the Siemens unit said today in an e-mailed statement. “Osram regards Samsung’s move as a typical counterattack of a defendant.”
Samsung Electronics gained 0.3 percent to close at 853,000 won ($786) on the Korea Exchange. Siemens added 0.1 percent to 89.57 euros ($129) at 1:36 p.m. in German trading. Samsung LED and Osram aren’t listed.
Samsung LED is seeking a halt to the unauthorized use of its intellectual property and monetary damages, it said in yesterday’s statement, without specifying an amount. The Korean company said it plans to file more lawsuits against Osram in the U.S. and other overseas markets as “soon as possible.”
Samsung LED has about 700 U.S. patents and patent applications and about 2,000 Korean patents and applications, according to the statement.
To contact the reporters on this story: Bomi Lim in Seoul at blim30@bloomberg.net; Shinhye Kang in Seoul at skang24@bloomberg.net. Holger Elfes in Dusseldorf at helfes@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Young-Sam Cho at ycho2@bloomberg.net
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