PC Makers Sued Over LCD Technology

Honeywell says the 34 companies are infringing on its patents.

Tom Krazit, IDG News Service

Aerospace manufacturer Honeywell International has filed suit against 34 PC and mobile phone companies that it says are infringing on its patents for LCD technology.

The lawsuit, filed last week in U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, claims that the 34 companies are using proprietary Honeywell technology that controls the brightness of LCD screens and reduces interference, Honeywell says in a statement.

This technology appears in products such as notebooks, mobile phones, personal digital assistants, and digital cameras, among other things, according to the Morristown, New Jersey, company.

LCD manufacturers LG Philips LCD and Samsung Electronics have already taken a license for Honeywell's technology, the company says.

Defendants Named

The defendants include a who's who list of PC and electronics companies, such as Apple Computer, Dell, Fujitsu, Nikon, Sony, and Toshiba. Hewlett-Packard and Gateway were noticeably absent from the list.

This is the first lawsuit that Honeywell has filed against companies that it believes are infringing upon its LCD technology, a Honeywell spokesperson says. The company may file additional lawsuits in the future, he says.

A Dell spokesperson, citing a company policy, declines to comment on pending litigation. Representatives from HP and Gateway did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment.