Osram has ended its patent litigation against rival LED maker LG, and the companies will enter into a cross-licensing agreement.
Osram, LG Electronics Inc. and LG Innotek Co. Ltd. have agreed to settle all the LED patent lawsuits and complaints between the companies.
The companies have also reached a license agreement for their respective LED patent portfolios. The parties agreed to keep the details of the settlement confidential.
Osram and LG will dismiss all patent disputes pending in various countries, including the United States, Germany, South Korea, Japan and China.
The disagreement dates back to June 2011, when Osram filed separate complaints against LG and Samsung.
Other lawsuits followed, filed by both LG and Osram. In July 2012, the ITC gave an initial ruling that various LED products from LG infringe one of Osram’s patents. As so often seen in the LED industry, this signaled the beginning of the end of the dispute. The terms of the license agreement are likely to be in favor of Osram.
Osram and Samsung settled their LED patent disputes in August 2012, and signed a licensing deal that again is thought to be favorable to Osram. There was an indication that Osram and Samsung might carry out some joint LED development work, but this has been shelved.
Aldo Kamper, CEO of Osram Opto Semiconductors, said that his company was “very much satisfied” with the settlement reached with LG. “It is our long-standing policy to reach license agreements with other manufacturers of LED products,” said Kamper. “Consequently, we highly appreciate this settlement with LG Electronics and LG Innotek.”
“With the patent litigations now terminated, we are looking forward to building a strong relationship with Osram in the field of intellectual property,” said Si-Gwan Ryu, Executive Vice President of LED Business Unit of LG Innotek Co. Ltd.
