Reuters Saturday, April 2, 2005; 8:28 AM
TOKYO (Reuters) - The world's No. 1 and 3 suppliers of plasma panels, the key component in flat-screen televisions, have agreed to settle their dispute over plasma display technology, a newspaper said on Saturday.
South Korea's LG Electronics Inc. and Japan's Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. filed lawsuits against each other last year, claiming infringements on patents related to plasma technology. The suits have led to a halt of imports of LG panels into Japan and Matsushita panels to South Korea.
The tussle has been just one of a number of legal disputes over panel technology among Japanese firms and rivals from South Korea and Taiwan, underscoring a fierce fight for position in the potentially lucrative market for flat panel TVs.
The two companies have been holding talks and are expected to agree on a settlement that would require LG to pay royalties to Matsushita while allowing each firm access to some of the other's patents, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun said.