Samsung Sues LG Display for Lacking Innovation

Samsung has filed a lawsuit against LG Display accusing that the latter's OLED displays lack innovation.

According to the Yonhap News agency, the suit was filed with an intellectual property tribunal in Korea, which aims to invalidate seven LG patents due to the fact that they "lack innovation".

The ongoing legal dispute between the two technology firms has been well documented. Back in September, LG Display filed a suit against Samsung alleging that it violated seven organic light-emitting diode patents. The company stressed that the conglomerate violated the design of its OLED panels, driver circuitry and device design.

LG asked the court for an unspecified amount in damages and a permanent injunction of five infringing products, including Samsung's best-selling Galaxy S3 smartphone, its Galaxy Tab 7.7 tablet and the Galaxy Note phablet.

During the summer, 11 current and former Samsung Mobile employees stemming from Samsung Mobile were arrested as they were found guilty in stealing and leaking details to LG about a Samsung AMOLED TV. Six of LG's own workers, however, were involved in the theft of Samsung's OLED technology back in 2011 and 2010.

The two Korean firms compete with each other through the AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) display market. These displays provide thinner, brighter and lighter screens than the usual LCD displays.

Samsung's display panel division experienced a return to profitability during the last quarter with operating profit equaling $1 billion, representing a 19 percent increase over the same period last year.

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  • axiler
    I didn't know you could sue for the lack of innovation..
    Reply
  • murzar
    In that case, the millions of iPhone 5 users should also sue Apple.
    Reply
  • murzar
    No wait, the whole smartphone/tablet industry and consumers should sue Apple for the iPhone 5.
    Reply
  • realibrad
    axilerI didn't know you could sue for the lack of innovation..
    Samsung is trying to say that the patents LG has are invalid, because the patents were not innovative. Samsung believes the patents should never have been given, because they brought nothing new that wasinnovative.

    It beaks down to this...

    I cant patent taking a step where you start with your right foot, becasue its too basic to walking. The patent of taking a first step with your right foot is not innovative.
    Reply
  • wanderer11
    axilerI didn't know you could sue for the lack of innovation..
    Samsung is suing to get rid of LG's patents because they lack innovation. You can't patent something that already exists. A patent is supposed to be for a new, unique product.
    Reply
  • davewolfgang
    Wow...this could void ALL of iCrapple's patents!!!

    When can we start!!!
    Reply
  • ohim
    At least they fight over some technology not about a rectangular rounded corner shape like others do.
    Reply
  • MKBL
    The article is misleading, especially the title. The key point of the suit is that Samsung wants certain LGD's patents invalidated on the basis of lack of innovation, not LGD's total lack of innovation. Please don't be a yellow tabloid, Tom's Hardware.
    Reply
  • A Bad Day
    If I do recall, IBM has a patent on a process of filing for a patent.

    The entire patent system is a sick joke for the software/hardware business.
    Reply
  • ericburnby
    wanderer11Samsung is suing to get rid of LG's patents because they lack innovation. You can't patent something that already exists. A patent is supposed to be for a new, unique product.Sorry, you're wrong. There are countless patents for hammers and light bulbs. If you invent a better hammer, you're allowed to patent it, as long as it's different from existing hammers.

    Another complaint people try to use to invalidate a patent is saying it's obvious. Obvious to who? All good ideas are obvious AFTER you've seen it. That's why people go "why didn't I think of that?" when they some new idea.
    Reply