Technology news and Jobs arrow Information Technology News arrow Canon loses flat-panel licence
Canon loses flat-panel licence E-mail
by Stephen Withers   
Tuesday, 27 February 2007
The US District Court for the Western District of Texas has ruled that Nano-Proprietary was entitled to terminate the licence to its SED (surface-conduction, electron-emitter display) technology granted to Canon in 1999.

Canon had planned to use the technology to enter the flat-panel TV market, but instead of going it alone it formed a joint venture (SED Ltd) with Toshiba in 2004.

Nano-Proprietary said the licence could not be extended to that partnership, and the judge agreed. Canon did attempt to set things right last month by purchasing Toshiba's shares in SED Ltd, but Judge Samuel Sparks ruled "Canon's recent restructuring of SED as a wholly owned subsidiary is ineffective to prevent termination because this effort to cure the breach was not undertaken within a reasonable time."

Once any damages have been settled, a new licence may be granted to Canon. "We are... willing to enter into a new license agreement with Canon on reasonable terms" Nano-Proprietary officials said in a recent written statement.

Canon has indicated it still wants to manufacture SED panels, and intends outsourcing TV production to Toshiba.

SED panels can be large and bright, and offer high contrast ratios and very fast response times.{moscomment}

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