By Kim Bo-eun
The Swedish home appliance manufacturer Electrolux signed a patent licensing deal with LG Electronics regarding its ice-making technology for French-door refrigerators, the Korean tech giant said Monday.
Electrolux is a multinational company founded in 1919.
LG Electronics said it registered for a patent for technology developed to place the ice maker inside the fridge to offer greater convenience for customers, given they don't need to bend down to open the freezer. French-door refrigerators have the refrigerated section on the top and the freezer at the bottom. LG owns more than 700 globally registered patents related to the technology of ice-making refrigerators.
The technology has been applied to French-door refrigerators the company sells here and overseas.
"We will protect our intellectual property rights, which is the driver behind LG Electronics leading the global home appliances market," Jeon Saeng-gyu, head of LG's intellectual property center, said.
LG Electronics has continued a battle over its intellectual property rights, including those in refrigerator ice-making technology.
In June, a court in Germany ruled in favor of the company in a patent suit against Beko Deutschland and Grundig Intermedia over refrigerator door ice-making technology. The technology enables the ice-maker to be placed in the door of the refrigerator and LG has over 400 globally-registered related patents. LG filed the suit against the two firms, affiliated with the Turkey-based home appliance manufacturer Arcelik, after finding they sold refrigerators infringing LG's patent.
Arcelik is embroiled in multiple suits with LG Electronics, over the latter's patents. Arcelik is one of Turkey's two major household appliances manufacturers.
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| The photo shows LG Electronics' refrigerator with an ice-maker attached to the fridge door. / Courtesy of LG Electronics |
Electrolux is a multinational company founded in 1919.
LG Electronics said it registered for a patent for technology developed to place the ice maker inside the fridge to offer greater convenience for customers, given they don't need to bend down to open the freezer. French-door refrigerators have the refrigerated section on the top and the freezer at the bottom. LG owns more than 700 globally registered patents related to the technology of ice-making refrigerators.
The technology has been applied to French-door refrigerators the company sells here and overseas.
"We will protect our intellectual property rights, which is the driver behind LG Electronics leading the global home appliances market," Jeon Saeng-gyu, head of LG's intellectual property center, said.
LG Electronics has continued a battle over its intellectual property rights, including those in refrigerator ice-making technology.
In June, a court in Germany ruled in favor of the company in a patent suit against Beko Deutschland and Grundig Intermedia over refrigerator door ice-making technology. The technology enables the ice-maker to be placed in the door of the refrigerator and LG has over 400 globally-registered related patents. LG filed the suit against the two firms, affiliated with the Turkey-based home appliance manufacturer Arcelik, after finding they sold refrigerators infringing LG's patent.
Arcelik is embroiled in multiple suits with LG Electronics, over the latter's patents. Arcelik is one of Turkey's two major household appliances manufacturers.
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