LG Electronics Sues Toshiba-Samsung Venture Over Patents

LG Electronics Inc. of South Korea sued a joint venture of Toshiba Corp. (6502) and Samsung Electronics Co. in federal court in Delaware alleging infringement of four U.S. patents for optical-disc technology.

Lawyers for Seoul-based LG said in today’s complaint that Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology Corp. of Tokyo knew about the inventions because it licensed the patents until the end of 2010.

The defendants “have failed to renew their license to the patents-in-suit, and defendants therefore knowingly remain unlicensed,” LG officials said in court papers.

The inventions, patented since 2000, cover rewritable and record/playback media used in computers, camcorders and video recorders, according to court papers.

LG is asking for a jury trial, unspecified damages based on lost profits and “no less than a reasonable royalty” for use of the inventions.

A Toshiba spokeswoman, Rebecca Bueno, in Irvine, California, didn’t immediately return voice and e-mailed messages seeking comment on the lawsuit. Kasia McManamon, representing Samsung in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, didn’t immediately respond to an e-mail and phone call seeking comment.

The case is LG Electronics Inc. (066570) v. Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology Corp., 12cv1063, U.S. District Court, District of Delaware (Wilmington).

To see the patents in the lawsuit, click: 6,101,162; 7,380,159; 7,380,178; 6,477,126.

To contact the reporter on this story: Phil Milford at pmilford@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Hytha at mhytha@bloomberg.net