HSINCHU, Oct. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today AU Optronics Corp. ("AUO" or the "Company") (TAIEX: 2409; NYSE: AUO) signed patent cross-license agreements with E-Ink Holdings ("E-Ink") and Hydis Technologies Co., Ltd. ("Hydis"), E-Ink's South Korean subsidiary, respectively. The parties have agreed to cross license specified patents owned by each party.
AUO, E-Ink and Hydis have all invested R&D resources in advanced display technologies and each has established strong and comprehensive patent portfolios. To respect each other's intellectual property, the parties have agreed to grant licenses to specific patents that each owns. Under the terms of the agreement, which will be effective for ten years, the parties will be able to use the specified proprietary technologies of the other. The patent cross-license agreements primarily involve LCD-related technologies, including the wide viewing angle Fringe Field Switching (FFS) technology with applications to smartphones and tablets, which will facilitate technological development of innovative electronic products.
Hydis' FFS technology has wide viewing angle, power-saving, high contrast, and high resolution features. With the signing of the agreements, AUO's strengths in wide viewing angle technology will be further enhanced.
Both AUO and E-Ink believe that the patent cross-license agreements will sharpen their competitive edge in the industry and introduce more chances for technological and business collaborations to pursue business opportunities together and expand market reach.
ABOUT AU OPTRONICS
AU Optronics Corp. (AUO) is one of the world's leading providers of display and solar total solutions. AUO offers a full range of panel sizes and comprehensive applications ranging from 1.2 inches to 71 inches. Based on its profound R&D and manufacturing experience, AUO continues to develop advanced display technologies of the next generation. AUO extended its market to the green energy industry in 2008. By building a vertically integrated high-efficiency solar value chain, AUO provides its customers with high-efficiency solar solutions. AUO now houses a staff of more than 45,000 employees, with global operations in Taiwan, Mainland China, the U.S., Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, Czech and Slovakia. Additionally, AUO is the first pure TFT-LCD manufacturer to be successfully listed at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). AUO has also been named to Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for three consecutive years from 2010 to 2012. AUO generated NT$379.7 billion (US$ 12.54 billion) in sales revenue in 2011. For more information, please visit AUO.com.
* 2011 year end revenue converted at an exchange rate of NTD30.27:USD1.
Safe Harbour Notice
AU Optronics Corp. ("AUO" or the "Company") (TAIEX: 2409; NYSE: AUO), a global leader of TFT-LCD panels, today announced the above news. Except for statements in respect of historical matters, the statements contained in this Release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements were based on our management's expectations, projections and beliefs at the time regarding matters including, among other things, future revenues and costs, financial performance, technology changes, capacity, utilization rates, yields, process and geographical diversification, future expansion plans and business strategy. Such forward looking statements are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that can cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including risks related to the flat panel display industry, the TFT-LCD market, acceptance of and demand for our products, technological and development risks, competitive factors, and other risks described in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in our Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on April 27th, 2012.
