An East Texas jury ruled Wednesday that Samsung Electronics violated the patented technology of rival Maxell Ltd. and awarded the plaintiff $111.7 million in damages.
Japan-based Maxell sued Samsung, which is headquartered in South Korea, in 2023 alleging it willfully infringed on three patents related to its technology on smart phone and home devices, including appliances.
Maxell’s patents involve its SmartThings Station products, which include techniques for video processing, managing digital data and unlocking functions.
In its lawsuit, Maxell argued that Samsung had a license for its technology for several years but refused to renew its agreement.
“Maxell has made several attempts over the last few years to engage Samsung in negotiations for a new license,” lawyers for Maxell argued in their original complaint. “Samsung’s representatives have been provided with detailed information regarding Maxell’s patents, the developed technology and Samsung’s ongoing use of this patented technology. Through this process, Samsung’s representatives requested and received detailed explanations regarding Maxell’s patents and allegations.”
“Maxell believed that a mutually beneficial agreement could be reached between the parties and continued to communicate with Samsung since informing Samsung about its infringement in July 2021,” the lawsuit states. “Samsung, however, elected not to enter into an agreement with Maxell or license Maxell’s patents, even though many of the smartphone companies well-known to consumers have already entered into a license agreement with Maxell. Instead, Samsung continued, and continues today, to make, use, sell, and offer for sale Maxell’s patented technology without a license.”
The week-long trial before U.S. District Judge Robert Schroeder III resulted in a federal jury in Texarkana ordering Samsung to pay $111.7 million.
Jamie Beaber, Alan Grimaldi, Kfir Levy, Alison Gelsleichter and a dozen other lawyers for Mayer Brown represent Maxell, as well as Geoffrey Patton Culbertson of Patton Tidwell & Culbertson.
The DLA Piper lawyers representing Samsung include Mark Fowler, Benjamin S. Mueller and Brian Erickson, who is in DLA’s Austin office. Co-counsel for Samsung includes Andrew T. Gorham and Harry Lee Gilliam Jr. of Gilliam & Smith of Marshall.
The case is Maxell Ltd. v. Samsung Electronics, EDTX, Case. No. 5:23-cv-00092.