LG Electronics has found itself at the center of quite a few patent lawsuits in recent years (both as a plaintiff and defendant), and it’s now kicked yet another one off. As Bloomberg reports, LG has today filed suit against Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology, alleging that the Toshiba / Samsung joint venture violated a number of patents related to DVD+RW and DVD-RAM technology. In the complaint, LG further alleges that TSST is knowingly infringing on the patents as they were previously licensed to Toshiba itself (and TSST as an affiliate company) as part of a deal that expired in 2010. LG is asking for a jury trial to sort things out, and demanding that TSSC pay “no less than a reasonable royalty” along with some unspecified damages. You can find the complaint in full at the link below.
Filed under: Storage
Toshiba / Samsung joint venture hit with lawsuit by LG over DVD+RW/RAM patents originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 15:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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After Sony cut off its supply of capital to the ill-fated Sakai production plant that it jointly owns with Sharp, it became clear that the final goodbye may be little more than a formality. And here it is, in the form of a cold, resolute press release stating that Sony is selling its seven percent stake back to Sharp and taking back the 10 billion yen ($ 126 million) it originally invested. The only reason given is the “rapidly changing market for LCD panels and LCD televisions,” which is a polite reference to the fact that profits from big TVs are well below what these companies predicted back in the heady days of 2008 and early 2009, when the impact of the global economic crisis loomed without yet being fully apparent. Fortunately for Sony, which is in the delicate stages of reform, the solid pre-nuptial agreement it had in place with Sharp should protect the company from having to revise its financial forecasts for the coming year — not that those were particularly great in the first place.
Continue reading Sony formally quits Sharp LCD joint venture, takes back every yen it invested
Sony formally quits Sharp LCD joint venture, takes back every yen it invested originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 03:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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PayPal has joined forces with Softbank to bring its mobile payment system/digital wallet to Japan. PayPal Here uses an encrypted card reader — like its BFF Square, and more recently, VeriFone — to minimize users’ cash dependency. There’s also a redesigned app that makes it easier for customers to locate participating merchants while they’re out and about. The $ 25 million joint venture targets small businesses, especially those using iPhones (though it also works just fine on Android), and will be made available to the Japanese masses over the next several weeks. We’re sure the setup will be used exclusively by the forces of good to stimulate the local economy.
PayPal and Softbank announce new joint venture in Japan, mobile app originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 May 2012 15:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The joint venture that is Japan Display agreed on its formalities back in November, and has now finally started operating. While Sony, Toshiba and Hitachi all have a 10 percent stake in the business, the main investment comes from the government-backed INCJ. The collaboration hopes to champion the middle- and small-sized display sector, and has around 6,200 employees, and ¥230 billion (about $ 2.8 billion) of capital to help it on its way. Now that the wheels are finally in motion, an announcement of its operational divisions, which include “Mobile Business” and “Automotive” hint at what we might expect from the business going forward. Assuming no one sells up that is.
Sony, Toshiba, Hitachi joint venture Japan Display fires up operations originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 07:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Big news from Asia’s mobile market today: Japan’s biggest mobile carrier NTT Docomo (55 million customers, over US$ 50 billion in sales per year) is teaming up with five other tech powerhouses to develop chips for next-generation mobile devices. Docomo’s partners are NEC, Fujitsu, Fujitsu Semiconductor Ltd., Panasonic, and Samsung.
The goal is to use synergies in the six companies’ expertise in developing small and eco-efficient chips to supply to mobile device manufacturers in Japan, Korea, and other places. Docomo says the main focus will be on “products for LTE and LTE-Advanced mobile communication standards”.
The carrier plans to set up a subsidiary ( “Communication Platform Planning Co.”) as early as next month, capitalize it at US$ 5.8 million, and turn that subsidiary into a fabless joint venture with the other partners in March next year. According to Japan’s biggest business newspaper The Nikkei, Docomo plans to become the biggest shareholder in the joint venture.
S-LCD Co., the joint venture for making LCDs for TVs between Sony and Samsung, will soon be history. The Japanese company today announced it will exit the 50-50 venture by selling its share to the Korean rival for US$ 940 million, after seven years of collaboration.
After inking a final agreement, Samsung is ready to absorb the South Korea-based joint venture into its existing LCD business and turn it into a 100% subsidiary. Samsung’s LCD business will then be the second-largest in the world by revenue, trailing only LG Display.
Sony, which has been reporting losses for its TV unit for years, said that parting ways with Samsung will result in savings of about US$ 640 million every year. Last month, Sony issued a financial report forecasting a US$ 1.15 billion loss for this fiscal (for the company as a whole), but it didn’t say if the forecast will be revised.
To some extent, Sony and Samsung are continuing to collaborate in the display area. The Japanese company, which will keep on producing TVs, says it “entered into a new strategic agreement for the supply and purchase of LCD panels with a goal of enhancing the competitiveness of both companies”.
Remember the Acer W4? After seeing it at IFA 2011, it seems that it’s finally ready to make some first impressions, and its blind date is with France. Known officially as the Allegro, Acer’s inaugural Windows Phone isn’t going over the top in the spec department: it has a 3.6-inch WVGA (800 x 480) display, 1GHz single-core Qualcomm MSM8255 CPU, 8GB internal storage, 5MP rear camera with LED flash and a 1,300mAh battery. However, a unique addition to this €299 ($ 425) device is a feature called Fast Charge, which allows the Allegro to get juiced up to 2.5 times faster than the rest of the company’s lineup. Expect the device to land in France in mid-November with two color options — white and dark blue iceberg. Just make sure, Acer, to walk your date all the way back home from dinner.
Acer’s first venture into Windows Phone arrives in France as the Allegro originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Qualcomm may be facing some new competition in the mobile chip space, now that NTT DoCoMo and three other Japanese firms are looking to join forces with Samsung. According to Japan’s Nikkei business daily, the quartet of firms (which includes Fujitsu, NEC and Panasonic’s mobile unit) is currently finalizing negotiations with Samsung over a proposed joint venture that would design, develop and market smartphone chips. The partners are reportedly planning to incorporate the new chips into their own devices, while selling them to other handset manufacturers, as well. DoCoMo would hold a majority stake in the ¥30 billion (about $ 390 million) partnership, which could help lower procurement costs, while reducing the partners’ dependency upon industry-leading Qualcomm. A DoCoMo spokesman acknowledged that the provider is exploring a variety of collaborations, but was quick to point out that nothing’s been finalized. Samsung and Fujitsu, meanwhile, have yet to comment.
Samsung, NTT DoCoMo to develop smartphone chips in proposed joint venture originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 07:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We had a pretty clear indication that some official word was coming soon, and Sony, Toshiba and Hitachi have now confirmed that they intend to pool their LCD manufacturing efforts and form a new joint venture (expected to be completed by the spring of 2012). That effort is getting a $ 2.6 billion shot in the arm courtesy of a Japanese government-backed investment fund, which itself will own 70 percent of the new company — to be dubbed Japan Display — while Sony, Toshiba and Hitachi will each get a 10 percent share.
Sony, Toshiba and Hitachi confirm plans for government-backed LCD joint venture originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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