Samsung cranks up LED lighting patent battle

July 18, 2011 By Geoff Duncan

Samsung LED has asked the U.S. International Trade Commission to bar imports of LED lighting products from German rival Osram.

Samsung LED—a subsidiary of South Korean tech giant Samsung—has ratcheted up its legal battle with German rival Osram by filing a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission, asking that Osram LED lighting products be barred from importation into the United States. Samsung LED claims the Osram products infringe on eight core LED lighting patents held by Samsung; the company is also seeking unspecified damages.

LED lighting technology is used in everything from back-lit computer displays and televisions to mobile phones, flashlights, street lamps, and automobile displays.

The move is the latest tit-for-tat in an LED lighting drama that started in June when Osram parent company Siemens sued Samsung and LG over similar LED lighting patent disputes. After that, Samsung LED sued Osram in Korea, as well as two Korean companies selling Osram products. Osram has also filed complaints against Samsung in the United States and Germany.

Samsung also indicated that it may bring complaints against other companies using Osram LED lighting components in products sold in the United States.

“Samsung LED intends to vigorously enforce its intellectual property rights, and these lawsuits reflect Samsung LED’s commitment to that enforcement,” the company said in a statement.

Although technology patent disputes are commonplace in computer and consumer electronics hardware and software, the suit highlights that stiff competition fuels patent battles all the way down to the component level, even for technologies as seemingly straightforward as the lights behind a display. As companies compete to make their lighting smaller, brighter, and more energy-efficient, any technological edge can help companies win big manufacturing contracts—and, just as with other patent cases, that makes the dispute all about money.

Showing 3 comments

Dan Gaul at 11:50am 18th July 2011 Samsung has been in a lot of these types of battles recently it seems. The last big one was with Apple.
1. Ian Bell at 11:59am 18th July 2011 The problem with Samsung (and now other companies emulating their model) is that they make parts for a lot of their competitors products. So for example, Samsung makes parts for Apple. The problem with that is that Samsung is playing both sides. They get access to specs from companies like Apple in order to make parts for them, and then they turn around and make their own competitor to the very company they just made parts for. If they keep doing this, there will always be a ton of lawsuits like this.
  1. Dan Gaul at 12:04pm 18th July 2011 Totally agree.