The Whirlpool Corporation claims that several LG- manufactured refrigerators and Fridge-Freezers imported into the U.S. infringe on five Whirlpool patents.
Whirlpool is trying to get an injunction to prevent LG from selling and importing products into the U.S. that infringe on its patents and claims that the majority of the refrigerators sold in the U.S. by LG. infringe one or more of the patents.
Whirlpool represents Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp and Bauknecht. Naively, I thought that there was competition between those trading names.
Whirlpool’s case is made in their press-release. See:
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/CLW10223012008-1.htm
LG’s response is found here: http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssConsumerGoodsAndRetailNews/idUSSEO4302620080124
Apparently, selling ice to Eskimos is problematic due to IP concerns.
