Tech : LG seeks ban on South Korean BMW and Audi sales

Wouldn't it be nice if we lived in a world where we all just got along, people worked for the thrill of it, and knowledge was free? Yeah, fat chance dreamers. 'Sue', our new millennium's most oft-used verb, is getting some heavy play at the hands of the tech industry. The latest court room combatants? Why, that'd be LG Group and Osram. You see, once upon a time LG was late to the LED patent game, and was content to fork over the cash to Osram for use of its tech. Skip to now, and the electronics giant's claiming it can get its lighting goods elsewhere, picking from a plethora of relevant IP-holding companies and combining that with its own patents. Despite having already countersued Osram in July to prevent the import of that company's allegedly infringing products into South Korea, LG's gathered its legal arsenal once again to block the sale of Audis and BMWs throughout the entire country -- cars that include Osram's LED tech. It's hard to imagine the courts would grant such a wide-sweeping ban on major auto players' bread-and-butter. And all grandstanding aside, it's more likely the two fisticuffing parties will come to some sort of revised financial agreement.

Rides : General Motors and LG to develop electric vehicles

The American auto giant General Motors has signed a partnership with the LG Group that is the first step into designing and developing future electric vehicles. The LG Group has already entered the automotive industry by supplying the battery cells to the Chevrolet Volt and Opel Ampera, and by adding GM’s experience in the field than that can only mean two things: success and money.

“Many solutions for tomorrow’s transportation needs may be available more quickly by building on our partnership strategy. Consumers benefit by getting the latest fuel-saving technology faster if we work with the best suppliers and we save time and money in the development process”, said the General Motors vice chairman, Steve Girsky.

According to the two companies, General Motors and LG will work on the vehicle structures and architectures and the cars will be sold in many countries. The new EVs that will come off the production line from the GM & LG partnership will play a major role into the US Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) of 54.5 mpg (4.3L/100km) by the end of 2025 model year.