November 23, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] Tech giant LG Electronics said on March 28 that it has filed complaints against US smartphone maker BLU for infringing five telecom patents.

The South Korean firm lodged complaints with the International Trade Commission and the US District Court for the District of Delaware, claiming the largest unlocked smartphone maker in the US has used its key patents for Long-Term Evolution network without permission. 

The Korean tech giant said in a statement that it had requested BLU for licensing negotiations, but the US firm did not respond to the request. LG also noted that the US smartphone firm refused its request to stop using the patents several times in the past.

“LG will continue to protect its patented technology and take decisive actions to prevent the illegal use of its intellectual property rights,” said Jeong Saeng-gyu, the chief of LG’s patent division.

BLU, which has sold 5.2 million smartphones in the US, is the sixth largest smartphone maker in the nation.

This is the first time that LG has filed a patent lawsuit against a global smartphone maker.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)