Auburn Hills-based Guardian Industries Corp., which makes glass for building construction and automobiles, sued electronics makers NEC Corp. and Mitsubishi Electric Corp., claiming they infringed on patents for technology used in computer monitors.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Wilmington, Del., also accuses Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Sharp Corp., Sanyo Electric Co. and ViewSonic Corp. of using liquid crystal display inventions protected by patents that closely held Guardian acquired from OIS Optical Imaging Systems Inc.
The lawsuit is the latest salvo over patent rights in the $21.4-billion worldwide market for thin-screen displays. The French Atomic Energy Commission has sued retailers including Sears, Roebuck & Co. and Best Buy Co. over patents for flat-panel technology and has accused Samsung and other LCD makers of infringement.