By Kim Sung-jin
Staff Reporter

South Korea on Thursday called on the Japanese government to withdraw its provisional injunction to suspend importation of Samsung SDI’s plasma display panels (PDPs).

Japanese customs authority on Wednesday announced that it was suspending the entry of PDPs made by Samsung SDI in response to an appeal by Fujitsu on April 6, alleging the Korean display maker had infringed upon its PDP technology patent rights.

Tokyo Customs Service banned importation of Samsung SDI’s PDPs without hearing arguments from the Korean firm.

Minister of Commerce, Industry and Energy Lee Hee-beom held a meeting with Japanese ambassador to Korea, Takano Toshiyuki, in his office in Kwachon, south of Seoul. Lee called for the revocation of Tokyo Customs Service’s provisional injunction on Samsung SDI’s PDP imports.

``The Japanese customs authority’s unilateral imposition of the provisional injunction on Samsung SDI’s PDP shipments contravenes the principle of equity,’’ Lee said.

``The patent dispute should be resolved by the companies themselves and shouldn’t have government involvement. It would be reasonable for the Japanese government to take measures after sufficiently grasping the situation, both legally and technologically,’’ he told the Japanese ambassador.

Lee also demanded Toshiyuki to ask the Japanese government to reconsider its provisional injunction, taking into account the cooperative trade relations between the two countries and South Korea’s deficit with Japan that amounts to $19 billion a year in bilateral display and related parts and material trade alone.

The Korean government plans to express its deep regret over Japan’s decision during the free trade agreement (FTA) talks slated for April 26-28 as well.

Samsung SDI’s PDP exports to Japan accounts for less than 3 percent of their export revenue, so the Japanese customs authority’s ban may not have much of an affect in the short-term. But, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy (MOCIE) estimates the damage would amount to $15 million-$20 million a year if the import ban drags on longer.

Fujitsu, which began developing PDPs since 1967, currently holds some 800 PDP technology-related patents. The Japanese electronic giant previously called on Samsung SDI to pay license fees asserting it has original technology patents for technologies applied to Samsung SDI’s PDP products.

However, Samsung SDI, after reviewing Fujitsu’s claims, determined that it had not violated Fujitsu’s patent rights. They brought the company to a California District Court on March 4 for a nullity suit, insisting Fujitsu’s self-claimed nine patents are invalid.

Countering Samsung SDI’s move, Fujitsu filed counter suits with Tokyo and California courts against Samsung SDI earlier this month, in addition to the request for the import ban.

Fujitsu Hitachi Plasma Display, a joint venture between the two giants, controlled 21 percent of the world’s PDP market last year, compared with Samsung SDI’s 17 percent, according to MOCIE.

This is the first time ever Japan has suspended the inbound shipment of Korean electronics goods, one of Korea’s major export items.

sjkim@koreatimes.co.kr