LG Philips makes thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT LCD) panels which are major components in televisions and computer monitors. The company is a US-based joint venture between South Korean LG Electronics and Dutch Royal Philips Electronics.
The company won a case for patent infringement against two rival manufacturers, Chunghwa Picture Tubes and Tatung Company, both based in Taiwan. The District Court in Los Angeles ruled that those companies infringed LG Philips's patents and a jury awarded the company $53 million in damages.
The final amount of damages will be set by a judge, who could raise the sum to up to three times that amount, LG Philips said.
LG Philips did not say exactly what patents were involved, but did say that they represented the 'building blocks' of TFT LCD manufacture.
Competitor Samsung has estimated that up to 30 million LCD screens will be sold this year, up from 19 million in 2005.
