Trade commission says tech firm did not infringe on property rights related to LEDs


The Korea Trade Commission said Thursday that LG Innotek did not infringe the patent rights of Osram light-emitting diode package manufacturing.

Following its inspection of seven different LED packages, the commission under the Ministry of Knowledge Economy decided that the inspected items of LG Innotek did not infringe the Munich-based firm’s intellectual property, including the white convergence technology.

“We believe this was a reasonable ruling and we will work toward making developments in the LED industry with the ruling in place,” said an LG Innotek official.

The ruling came as LG Innotek and Osram have at odds in court after Osram accused LG and Samsung of infringing on patent rights for LED technology in June last year.

For the case here, Osram ― a light-manufacturing unit of Siemens AG ― requested last July that the trade committee investigate the alleged patent violations.

Osram said that the organization should block the manufacturing and exporting of the goods. It also asked the committee to fine the Korean firm.

As a result, the trade panel, composed of experts in industry and academia, launched field inspections and technology explanation sessions as well as investigations by patent agents.

Although LG Innotek has received a favorable ruling from the trade committee, this is only the first in a series of rulings involving the two firms that are scheduled to take place not only in Korea, but in four other countries ― Germany, the U.S., China and Japan.

Two other patent infringement cases filed by LG Innotek and its affiliates such as LG Electronics will be ruled on in court and the Korean Intellectual Property Office within this year.

So far, Osram has filed a number of complaints, including the one with the U.S. International Trade Commission, a U.S. district court and a German court.

LG Innotek also filed a lawsuit against Osram’s Chinese corporation and another company called Hella at a Beijing court for infringing patent rights for light-emitting diode technology last year.

As the case is still pending, LG is demanding that Osram cease selling its LED products while seeking compensation.

By Cho Ji-hyun (sharon@heraldcorp.com)