Samsung splashes $25m on display patents business
Samsung Display, a unit of Samsung, has established a Washington DC-based licensing firm specialising in display patents.
Samsung has invested $25m to set up the firm, it emerged this week. Known as Intellectual Keystone Technology (IKT), the company is intended to strengthen Samsung's patent-related business, according to The Korea Times, which notes that this is Samsung's first business operating solely in patents.
"Samsung recently established IKT. Patents are a good source of innovation and we also need to protect our intellectual property by strengthening our patent-related business," a spokesman told the paper.
IKT opened in March and has already acquired over 100 display-related patents from Seiko Epson, related to OLED and LCD.
While Samsung's most well-known patent battle is with Apple, it recently dropped two long-running patent suits against LG Display over the latter's use of OLED and LCD.
If the paper's sources are correct, Samsung is taking a leaf from Microsoft's book on licensing and patents with IKT.
"Companies should be paying licensing fees for patents. We are paying to platform providers such as Microsoft in return for using their patents. IKT will be tasked to find out which patents are helpful and valued for Samsung," said an industry source, according to the Korea Times.
Samsung was one of the earlier parties to join Microsoft's patent licensing agreements that it has aimed at Android device makers across the globe.