Sony sues LG for nicking its ideas

ELECTRONICS MAKER Sony has asked the US International Trade Commission (ITC) to stop its rival LG from importing its mobile phones.

Other than the fact that LG is a competitor, which Sony might think is justification enough for a ban, the Japanese manufacturer claims that LG has infringed some of its patents.

According to Bloomberg Sony claims that the LG Lotus Elite, Neon, Remarq, Vu Plus, LX370, Rumor 2 and Xenon mobile phones use patented Sony technology. Sony also claims that LG is using its technology in LG Blu-ray players.

Sony's patent claims against LG relate to phone number listing display, direction keys on smartphones, and signal transmission.

It claims that LG is using this Sony technology in its own line of portable phones that are reaching US consumers.

We expect that LG will launch a counter-suit of its own, as is normally the case with these patent rows. Many of them do not get to court before someone buys a licence. µ