Samsung seeks US import ban on Osram

Market research indicates the global LED market will reach $14.8 billion by 2015 South Korea's Samsung LED said on Sunday it had asked the US International Trade Commission to ban US imports of goods made by Osram due to a patent row with the German lighting firm. Samsung, in a complaint filed on Friday, accused Osram of patent infringement in eight core light emitting diode (LED) technologies and also filed a suit in the US District Court in Delaware seeking damages.
"The patented technology is used in a wide range of products, including lighting, automobiles, projectors, cell phone screens and televisions," the firm said in a statement released on Sunday.
The move came a month after Osram, owned by industrial giant Siemens, filed suits in Germany and the United States against Samsung for violating patents for LED technology and said it would seek compensation.
Osram alleged in June that Samsung LED -- a part of South Korea's top conglomerate, Samsung Group -- infringed its patent on white and surface mountable LEDs in the United States and Germany.
Samsung responded by filing a patent infringement suit against Osram in South Korea.
"Samsung LED intends to vigorously enforce its intellectual property rights, and these lawsuits reflect Samsung LED's commitment to that enforcement," Samsung said on Sunday.
It typically takes about 15 to 18 months for the ITC to complete an investigation and announce its final determination, it said.
LEDs are a key component in television and computer screens.
Market researcher Global Industry Analysts last year forecast the global LED market would reach $14.8 billion by 2015, driven by demand for more energy-efficient displays for televisions, mobile phones and computers.