Sharp LCD panels banned from US import until further notice

Chalk up another huge win for Samsung in its long-running patent dispute with Sharp: the US International Trade Commission has just issued a ruling banning importation of Sharp LCD panels that infringe one of Samsung's viewing-angle patents. As you might imagine, the ban covers a wide swath of Sharp's consumer products, including the Aquos TV line, but it's not clear on how it'll affect other companies that use Sharp panels -- this ruling could potentially have a huge impact on the entire tech market. On the other hand, we'd bet that Sharp's lawyers are furiously putting together a request to have the ban delayed while an appeal is sorted out, so this is far from over -- in fact, we'd say the real fireworks are just beginning.

[Dead_Rebel @ Jun 24th 2009 4:21PM]

My patent's bigger than yours.

[kjb434 @ Jun 24th 2009 4:30PM]

On no it isn't! LOL

[va jj @ Jun 24th 2009 4:22PM]

hi

[duplicatedecoy @ Jun 24th 2009 4:22PM]

I guess South Korea is getting revenge on the Japanese.

[Aguiluz @ Jun 24th 2009 4:35PM]

They could use their Samsung Killer Robots against Japan then!

http://compsci.ca/tech/weapons/sgr-a1-samsung-powered-killer-robots/

[AndrewNoNumbers @ Jun 24th 2009 6:56PM]

Wow I had always thought both were Japanese.. Samsung isn't Japanese!?!?!?

[Mitch @ Jun 24th 2009 9:08PM]

@Andrew

Nope, and Samsung started out selling fish not electronics.

[NinjaXero @ Jun 28th 2009 2:45PM]

Both Samsung and LG are South Korean companies.

[dsteve303 @ Jun 24th 2009 4:22PM]

Good. I hate SHARP. You go Samsung! I lub you so much! I'd bang you so hard.

[IvanP91 @ Jun 24th 2009 4:27PM]

get a girlfriend! Got one?

then get laid more :)

[kjb434 @ Jun 24th 2009 4:31PM]

He's too busy playing with his Wii. No time for the real thing.

[Brian @ Jun 24th 2009 5:38PM]

I have a challenge for you. Find your local Yellow Pages, look up TV Repair services, and call some local TV repairmen. Ask them what they think of Samsung, and then ask them what they think of Sharp. Go ahead, try it.

[unzarjones @ Jun 24th 2009 7:29PM]

I own a Sharp Aquos. Don't know exactly how to pronounce it but I only have to stare at it's beautiful visage, not talk to it.

[Matt @ Jun 24th 2009 4:27PM]

It means more expensive TVs, even closer to a monopoly :(

[apeguero @ Jun 24th 2009 4:59PM]

Exactly!

[andres @ Jun 24th 2009 7:27PM]

i love that game, oh wait.

[dkarageo @ Jun 24th 2009 4:29PM]

Don't Vizios use older Sharp panels, along with Best Buy's Insignia brand? I wonder what companies like BB, Costco, Target and Wal Mart must be thinking of this.

[Byrdman @ Jun 24th 2009 7:11PM]

I thought that Insignia used LG panels

[Timmy @ Jun 24th 2009 4:32PM]

I thought they said in an earlier post that this was a dispute about phased out technology so it might not have as large affect on sales.

[AndrewNoNumbers @ Jun 24th 2009 6:58PM]

I thought that was Funai vs Vizio?

[crashcarstar @ Jun 24th 2009 4:37PM]

My Olevia has a Sharp panel in it.

[Zuwxiv @ Jun 24th 2009 4:41PM]

That's a real Sharp move.

[NoAndThen @ Jun 24th 2009 4:42PM]

does anybody know what panels are used in the new macbook pros? I was considering getting one, but if this is going to change the panel, I may wait, or hurry... JW.

[Wwhat @ Jun 24th 2009 4:43PM]

Viewing angle patents? As far as I know samsung panels have the same or less viewing angle than every other LCD manufacturer, so doesn't samsung use those patents themselves?

[CtrlBurn @ Jun 24th 2009 4:47PM]

The thing about patents is, you can use them as much as you want when you own them.

[Wwhat @ Jun 24th 2009 4:50PM]

Would be consistent incidentally, they also sell their own flash chips cheaper to apple and such than they are in their own devices, seems samsung doesn't like samsung.

[Byrdman @ Jun 24th 2009 7:13PM]

If they are willing to buy them than why not? If they didn't they wouldn't sell nearly as many as they do. Think about it, they are technically making money off of every flash based iPod sold.

[Wwhat @ Jun 24th 2009 9:47PM]

Nobody minds they sell them, it's just weird that (this example is imaginary in regards to numbers) if an ipod with 8GB extra costs let's say $30 more and a samsung MP3 player with 8GB more costs $40 extra, it just seems that all their competitors use samsung RAM but manage to get it cheaper than the people that make it, which is odd.
And it would also be weird to have a technology and not use it to beat the competition, and then get miffed if they do use it, although they have a right to of course it's still so odd these things.

[Nash @ Jun 25th 2009 6:59PM]

Uh no. Its more like : Apple can buy one 8 Gb from Samsung chip for 10$ , and have other costs to make an iPod as 10$, they then decide to make a profit margin of 20$ , and sell the iPod at 40$. For 8GB extra, they need to pay another 5$ to Samsung, and since the cost of the rest is unlikely to be radically different, the 16Gb iPod costs them 25$, and decide to keep a profit margin of only 15$, thus arriving at a total price of , presto , 40$. (sounds stupid, but you get the picture)

Samsung meanwhile keeps the profit margin on their players constant, and thus sells the 16gb mp3 player for 5$ more than the 10gb mp3 player.

Its all in the profit margins.

[crsh @ Jun 24th 2009 4:44PM]

Good lobbying with lots of free giveaway cash at work?

[Daniel @ Jun 24th 2009 5:01PM]

this sucks sharp usually hooks up retail empoleyes really god. i cant bash Samsung either oh well i like both brands but prefer Sony over Samsung. like other where saying i wonder what will happen to other products that use sharp LCD like some Sony's and who can forget the Nintendo ds and dsi both use sharp panels this could really suck for Nintendo to.

[emagic @ Jun 24th 2009 5:26PM]

Do you know Sony is using Samsung Panels? Well, Sony has different image processing for the products. But, I don't want to pay more. If I could pay more, I'd like to buy Pioneer not Sony

[Kain @ Jun 24th 2009 5:21PM]

Sharp Tv's suck two of mine i bought for my childrens room's broke in under 6 months of purchase and not due to neglect the backlight went out and they refused to fix it!

[Brad Green @ Jun 24th 2009 6:12PM]

My grandfather bought a Samsung LCD monitor online, and its backlight was DOA. Had to have it replaced.

[kal326 @ Jun 24th 2009 5:29PM]

Well good news is we are in a recession so I'm sure there are not hordes of people lining up day in and day out to buy up every last LCD TV on the shelves. Given that scenario I don't see a huge spike in LCD TV prices do to lack of supply because Sharp panel based products can't make it into the US.

[Bluecold @ Jun 24th 2009 5:37PM]

I don't know why Sharp would want to infringe those patents since they aren't very good ones. Viewing angles of samsung LCD's suck as bad as every other LCD.

[tothamax @ Jun 24th 2009 6:01PM]

Thank you! Sharp's panels make Sony's televisions suck. I prefer Samsung's panels. Way to score one for the boys back home Sammy!!!

[marksciberras @ Jun 25th 2009 5:40PM]

Sony does not buy panels from Samsung! They share a factory in Korea together, Samsung reps use that friggin excuse to try and under mine Sony product. Even the president of Samsung went on record and told the world that the S factory in Korea wouldn't run without Sony engineers. The panels are just glass, without a good processing they can look as bad as Visio. Also the Sharp panels in the states sucks but the panels in japan are almost as good as the Sony panels...almost.

By the way Samsung spiffs most of its dealers...they throw wads of cash at retailers to push their product. It's how they gained the market share these last 3 years. It was the only way they could do it. Their product is a service nightmare as mentioned by another poster above and they have the worst track record for customer service.

[UnReal31337 @ Jun 24th 2009 6:35PM]

Another win racked up by Korea INC.

[Engadget @ Jun 24th 2009 6:46PM]

Testing

[Engadget @ Jun 24th 2009 6:47PM]

And again

[messa01 @ Jun 27th 2009 10:02AM]

Sharp does make better LCD's. It would be a real shame if they eventually lost out.

[William Su @ Jun 28th 2009 9:04AM]

the US is fuked up now we need more trades to help the economy

[Mike B @ Jun 24th 2009 8:48PM]

How about Sharp LCD Glass is manufactured by an American company...Corning Inc. This sounds like a potential hit to our economy's bottom line.

[ShyGuy91284 @ Jun 24th 2009 9:51PM]

This could potentially have huge repercussions (although it probably won't if those involved did their research on how much it could disrupt things). It could potentially knock out entire OEMs since they often partner with a given LCD maker for many of their panels.

[Jimmy @ Jun 24th 2009 11:06PM]

yes, ban those "banding" panels

[jimny410 @ Jun 25th 2009 4:54AM]

sony is yet to use a sharp panels,they currently use AU optronics or samsung panel,unlike the samsung which have upto 3 different panels in the same model,sony sticks to a single panel/ model.so no panel lottery like u get in samsung

[rikkirok @ Jun 25th 2009 11:03AM]

this is a reply for 'emagic'

Sony do not use Samsung Panels at all - do your homework before making statements like that.
The LCD part of the panel i made by a third party company called S-LCD which was co founded by both Samsung and Sony.

Just for the record like... :-)

[PeaceG @ Jun 25th 2009 3:44PM]

Up yours Samsung!

[emagic @ Jun 25th 2009 4:44PM]

I probably DID my homework before making statements....

Unfortunately, S-LCD will belong to Samsung since Sony will get Sharp panels.
Samsung currently has 51% share, and Sony has 49%...on S-LCD which is just a factory to make panels.
Technology on the panels belongs to Samsung as well.
So what's the matter with calling Samsung instead of S-LCD?

Please do your homework before making statements.