LG seeks ban on sale of BMWs, Audis, following LED dispute with Osram

In a tit-for-tat legal battle against German lighting firm Osram, South Korean major LG Electronics has filed a suit in a Seoul court, seeking a ban on the sale of German luxury cars BMW and Audi, for using Osram's lighting products, which allegedly infringe on its patents.

Osram, a group company of German major Siemens AG,  had filed suits against LG Electronics and Samsung LED in the US, Germany and Japan in June, accusing them of infringing its patents on white and surface-mountable light emitting diodes (LEDs).

''We have a considerable number of patents which we developed in the course of many years of intensive research and development work,'' Aldo Kamper, CEO, Osram Opto Semiconductors, said while filing the suit against the South Korean firms. ''Major competitors such as Philips / Lumileds, Cree, and Nichia have acknowledged our strong IP position by entering into cross-license agreements with Osram.''

But both the South Korean giants retaliated, counter-suing Osram in Seoul by filing a patent infringement lawsuit. They also filed a complaint with the South Korean trade commission, seeking a ban on the import of LED products from Osram.

''We have decided to expand the legal case to automakers using LED package products made by Osram, as the infringement is increasingly affecting the fast-growing LED industry,'' said LG Electronics in a statement on Wednesday.

Osram unleashed its legal battle against LG and Samsung in the US, Germany and Japan and has also threatened to file a complaint against them in China. It filed a complaint with the International Trade Commission in the US, seeking to block the import of LG and Samsung products using LEDs.