Fujitsu Sues Samsung over PDP Patents

Online staff -- Electronic News, 4/8/2004

Fujitsu Ltd. late Wednesday asserted patent infringement claims against Samsung Japan Corp. in Tokyo District Court and Samsung SDI Co. Ltd. in U.S. Federal District Court in Los Angeles over plasma display panels (PDP).

Fujitsu alleged that PDPs -- the principal component of plasma display television sets, one of the fastest growing segments of the flat-screen television market -- manufactured by Samsung SDI infringe its PDP patents.
 
Before asserting these claims, Fujitsu claimed to have "sought to negotiate reasonable compensation for Samsung SDI's use of Fujitsu's PDP inventions." Samsung SDI refused Fujitsu's reasonable requests, according to the company, and it has continued to manufacture and sell PDPs that Fujitsu contends infringe on its PDP patents.

Fujitsu now seeks a court order against future importation and sales of infringing PDP products, and compensation for past infringement. In addition, the company said it is seeking administrative injunctive relief under a Japanese customs and tariffs law, which prohibits importation of products that infringe Japanese patents.

"Fujitsu has invested over 30 years and very significant resources in developing commercially viable PDP technology," Masanobu Katoh, group president of Fujitsu intellectual property group, said in a statement. "We cannot permit others to exploit these valuable inventions without appropriate compensation."

Samsung could not be reached for comment.

The lawsuit filed in Tokyo alleges infringement of Japanese patent No. 2,845,183, which is one of Fujitsu's basic patents in PDP field. Ten other patents are alleged to be infringed in the claims asserted in Los Angeles, Fujitsu said.