Samsung is one of the biggest targets for patent-related lawsuits filed by NPEs (non-practicing entities), the latter of which you may know by the colloquial term “patent trolls.” These companies acquire and hold patents but don't manufacture any products. Their only goal is to profit off licensing deals and, more importantly, from patent-related lawsuits.
Samsung is no stranger to dealing with companies that practice patent lawsuits. In fact, according to data shared by the Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency (via The Korea Times), Samsung was sued in the United States 403 times for patent infringement over the past three years. In contrast, LG Electronics faced 199 cases in the same three-year period.
Former Samsung Vice President files 10 patent lawsuits against the company
While Samsung is one of the easiest targets for patent trolling, it's rather unexpected for an executive to file a patent lawsuit, let alone ten, against its former employer. But in an unexpected turn of events, the latest patent troll lawsuit faced by Samsung was filed by a former executive, or more specifically, former Vice President Ahn Seung-ho, who served as a U.S. patent attorney for Samsung from 2010 to 2019.
The former VP created a new company called Synergy IP and is now using it to sue Samsung. As you may have guessed, the company is an NPE that holds patents but doesn't have any products of its own. So, patent lawsuits are its M.O.
According to sources, the ten patent lawsuits filed against Samsung concern wireless audio technologies that the company is using in virtually any product, from smartphones to wireless earbuds and Bixby-powered IoT devices.
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