The Smart TV maker, locked in a bitter patents dispute with rival LED maker has retaliated and is now looking to ban sale of Osram products in US.The dispute, which kicked off in June 6 last when Siemens-owned Osram filed a complaint against Samsung, accusing it of infringing patents which it says it owns the exclusive rights to.
Osram are also accusing fellow Korean tech LG of similar LED patent violations.
The patents pertain to Light Emitting Diodes (LED) technology, which the Korean giants uses on Smart TV’s, smartphones and across a slew of other electronic display devices.
But Samsung have now retaliated against the claim, filing a complaint of its own with the US International Trade Commission against LED manufacturer Osram and two of its subsidiaries, Osram Opto Semiconductors and Osram Sylvania Inc.
The Galaxy S II maker, in its application to the ITC, is looking for a “permanent outright ban” on the sale of Osram products in the US.
The giant has also filed another separate claim in the US state of Delaware accusing it of using eight core LED patents unlawfully and is also seeking legal compensation.
OSRAM’s TOPLED, DRAGON, OSLON, CERAMOS, and OSLUX devices, and the products in which they are used, are targets of the legal complaint.
“Samsung LED intends to vigorously enforce its intellectual property rights, and these lawsuits reflect Samsung LED’s commitment to that enforcement,” it said in a statement released on Friday. Samsung says the ITC could take up to 18 months to make a decision.
Ironically, just last week Apple applied to the ITC for a ban on the sale of Samsung products in a separate patents battle involving iPhone and iPad cloning accusations made by Steve Jobs’ giant against its Korean rival.
However, it may not be just Osram that Samsung is targeting in its LED war – it has pledged to “add additional parties who may be importing, using or selling the accused OSRAM LEDs in the U.S. market,” as new information becomes available.
In June, Samsung LED also filed a patent infringement action against OSRAM in a Korean court.
