Sharp has dropped its long-running legal battle against Hisense, according to Nikkei. The company previously accused Hisense of selling “shoddily-made” products under its acquired Sharp brand license in the US, which Sharp argued had brought the company into disrepute. (Sharp & Hisense)
The company took legal action to try and end the licensing agreement—due to expire in 2020—early. Nikkei now reports that all claims filed by Sharp against Hisense were dropped on Thursday. The publication’s source has not been disclosed and representatives of Sharp have so far declined to comment.
Analyst Comment
In the end, if Hisense was not going to ‘roll over’ in this dispute, then it hardly makes sense for Foxconn to keep talking about problems with the Sharp brand as we get closer to the end of the licence period. Hisense may also be starting to be more occupied with the Toshiba brand that it has licensed. (BR) (Toshiba Denies PC Business Sale, but Sells TV Business)
