Osram has filed legal actions against Samsung and LG in the US and Germany as well as against an LG in Japan. Based on its conviction that these companies, respectively, infringe fundamental patent rights, OSRAM will also file a suit against LG in China tomorrow. With this move OSRAM intends to enforce its patents on Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology. In these lawsuits OSRAM stresses that Samsung and LG group companies infringe its patents on white and surface mountable LEDs in the US, Germany and, as far as LG is concerned, in Japan and China. OSRAM intends to prevent unauthorized use of its technology and seeks orders from the courts to prevent Samsung and LG from importing and selling infringing LEDs and products containing these LEDs, such as LED-backlit TV sets and computer monitors. In addition, OSRAM is applying for compensation.
The legal actions focus on LEDs using technologies protected by OSRAM patents. These technologies relate to the electrical and thermal connection structure as well as to conversion technology, which is used, inter alia, to convert the blue light of the LED chip into white light. Typical applications of such white LEDs include, for instance, display backlighting for TV sets and monitors.