Sharp Corp.'s U.S. legal battle with Hisense Electric Co. marks the start of an aggressive new campaign by the Japanese electronics company to obtain royalties on its patents as the company focuses on ultra-high-resolution televisions and "smart home" devices.
Osaka-based Sharp plans to be more assertive when it comes to demanding patent royalties and may even start filing lawsuits against anyone found using Sharp inventions without permission, a company executive said in an interview.
"As devices become more sophisticated and complex and interconnected, device developers really need to pay more attention to what patents are out there," said Rey Roque, vice president of strategic business development for Sharp Electronics in Santa Ana, California. "You'll see us asserting our rights — whether that leads to more litigation I can't say at this time."