Whirlpool and LG Electronics, who have spent years fighting each other over proprietary technologies for in-door ice dispensers, have cut a deal to settle the issue.
Terms of the settlement were not disclosed for the trio of long standing patent infringement suits regarding the companies’ refrigerator designs.
The suits and counter-suits date back to 2008 started when US Company claimed LG had breached their design in-door ice dispensers used in LG side-by-side and French door refrigerators.
The suits were filed in U.S. district courts in Delaware and New Jersey, and complaints were also lodged by both manufacturers with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC).
In a terse joint statement, the companies said their agreement concludes years of litigation and will result in the dismal of three pending infringement suits involving several LG and Whirlpool patents.
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p >Whirlpool has also accused LG and other offshore manufacturers of selling washers and bottom-mount refrigerators at prices substantially below market value. The ITC dismissed the bottom-mount dumping charge last spring, although the U.S. Commerce Department in July imposed a nearly 12.2 percent dumping margin on LG washer imports pending a final decision by the ITC in January.
