LG Innotek wins patent suit against Japan's Nidec
LG Innotek has won a patent lawsuit against Japan's Nidec Corporation over ultra-small motors used in optical disk drives (ODD) in China.
The lower court in Beijing ruled that Nidec infringed LG's patent on technology to prevent foreign materials intruding into the motor.
Nidec, the world's largest motor maker for electronics and automobiles, has 30 days to appeal against the decision.
LG Innotek said the judgment proved that the company has "world-class" technology in ultra-small motors and related patents.
The two previously competed in the market for spindle motors used in DVDs. Nidec filed a suit against LG in 2013 and the court case is still ongoing in China, which is the world's biggest buyer of modules and components used in electronics.
LG has exited the ODD business, but is using the patents for its automobile business. LG Innotek is the main supplier for dual camera modules used in the iPhone 7.
In June, the company announced it had developed a fiber-type sensor that can be rolled up, which can used in cars and healthcare.
It developed a cover-glass with fingerprint recognition for smartphones in May.