LG Philips makes thin-film transistor liquid crystal display
(TFT LCD) panels which are major components in televisions and
computer monitors. The company is a US-based joint venture between
South Korean LG Electronics and Dutch Royal Philips
Electronics.
The company won a case for patent infringement against two rival
manufacturers, Chunghwa Picture Tubes and Tatung Company, both
based in Taiwan. The District Court in Los Angeles ruled that those
companies infringed LG Philips's patents and a jury awarded the
company $53 million in damages.
The final amount of damages will be set by a judge, who could
raise the sum to up to three times that amount, LG Philips
said.
LG Philips did not say exactly what patents were involved, but
did say that they represented the 'building blocks' of TFT LCD
manufacture.
Competitor Samsung has estimated that up to 30 million LCD
screens will be sold this year, up from 19 million in 2005.
