French government agency for atomic energy has filed a patent lawsuit over flat-screen displays against Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp. , Taiwan's second-largest maker of computer display screens, according to court documents made public Tuesday.
The Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique alleges that Chi Mei infringed on two patents for technology involved in the design and manufacture of liquid crystal modules, a type of flat-screen display used in computer monitors and televisions.
In its complaint, filed in federal court in San Jose last week and transferred to San Francisco Tuesday, the agency seeks an order restraining Chi Mei from exporting to the United States LCDs and LCD products that would infringe on its patents.
A representative for Chi Mei could not be immediately reached. A lawyer for the French government agency in San Francisco declined to comment. Chi Mei told investors last month that surging demand for flat-screen televisions should continue to boost its sales next year, and it expected to capture a 20 percent global market share for television panels.
To meet rising demand for LCDs, the company has plans to build three new plants in Taiwan over the next five years. Chi Mei counts No. 1 personal computer maker Dell Inc. and computer and printer maker Hewlett-Packard Co. as clients.
News source: Forbes - French gov't agency sues Chi Mei over LCD patents
