Patent wars: LG seeks ban on Samsung tablet device

As the market for smart phones and tablet computers grows rapidly, lawsuits over patents are flying thick and fast. In the most recent development, South Korea's LG Display has petitioned a Seoul court to ban the domestic sale of fellow-Korean company Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet computer, citing alleged patent infringements.

This follows hard on the heels of Samsung escalating its patents battle with Swedish rival Ericsson, having sought a sales ban on some Ericsson products in the US by filing a complaint with the US International Trade Commission (ITC).

In an injunction filed on Wednesday, LG has accused Samsung Electronics of infringing on three of its patents on the liquid crystal display (LCD) panels used on the Galaxy Note.

''Through this action, LG Display seeks to completely stop the sale, manufacture and importation of the infringing Samsung product,'' LG Display said in a press release.

LG Display also said it would request compensation amounting to 1 billion won ($933,000) per day in the event of continued non-compliance with its injunction.

The two companies have been in a patent row since September, when LG Display - one of the world's top flat-screen TV makers - filed suits against Samsung Electronics and Samsung Display for allegedly infringing patents on seven organic light-emitting diode (OLED) related technologies.