TOKYO: Sharp Corp. said Wednesday that it was suing Samsung Electronics because the Korean firms liquid crystal display modules and LCD TVs infringe on its patents.

It is the latest in a series of legal tussles among Asian technology companies as they increasingly focus on intellectual property to survive fierce competition.

Sharp, the worlds No. 3 LCD TV maker behind Samsung and Sony, said that it had asked Seoul Central District Court to award it compensatory damages and to prohibit the production and sale in South Korea of the products concerned.

Samsung officials were not immediately available for comment.

The three patents named in the suit relate to brightness, response speeds and viewing angles of LCD panels, Sharp said.

The company filed a similar suit against Samsung in August.

Before the announcement, shares in Sharp closed down 0.3 percent at 1,959, or $17.58, largely in line with the Tokyo stock markets electrical machinery index.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 12th, 2007 at 4:36 pm While Dave was in Money. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.