Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute Dismissed Lawsuits Against Samsung in the U.S.

For earlier post on this topic, please click here.

Timeline:

(1) On June 19, 2009, Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (“ITRI”) filed two patent infringement lawsuits against Samsung Electronics America Inc. and two other Samsung entities in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas (Case Nos. 4:09-cv-04063, 4:09-cv-04064). ITRI accused that Samsung's cell phone i607 and D520 models infringed U.S. Patent Number 6,459,413.

(2) On October 19, 2009, ITRI filed another lawsuit in the same district (Case No. 4:09-cv-04110), asserting 13 patents against Samsung with respect to Samsung's various flat panel display products including laptops, netbooks, cellphones, video projectors, and cameras.

(3) On January 15, 2010, ITRI filed a stipulation to dismiss each of the above cases without prejudice.

While the first two cases were pending, Samsung moved to transfer venue to the Eastern District of Texas – the home of a Samsung entity. The parties subsequently moved for the court to stay the litigation for 60 days pending settlement discussions.

The stipulation to dismiss each of the above cases without prejudice filed on January 15, 2010 indicates that the parties might have agreed to continue their settlement discussions out of court.

It remains to be seen, however, whether ITRI will re-file the lawsuits. If ITRI reaches a favorable settlement with Samsung, we could see a new wave of patent litigations filed by patent holding companies in the greater China region.