Recently,
KIPO provides much information including press release and various national
policies in relation to the Korean patent market. According to them, the numers
of patent applications has increased singificantaly in the relevant reflective
polarizer for LCD. Reflective polarizer films is optical films through which
about half of the incident light passes depending on oscillation direction.
Currently, the importance of this film has highlited due to the growth of
mobile devices and a key compoment of the low-power LCD home electronics. In
particular, reflective polarizer films is essential to increase brightness and
solve the low luminous efficienty of LCD.
In
this optical films market, there were no alternatives to choose but 3M Inc in
the United States of America since it holds the patents related to technology.
Recently, however the development of alternative products by the small business
in Korea is being made to compete with 3M in terms of brightness improvement
and low price. Considering the number of applications by 2011, from 1994 to
2003 there were only 188 cases and from 2004 to 2011 232 cases have been
applied. Over the 5 years, it has showed a well-marked increase of 160 cases.
Reviewing
the number of applications by the applicant by 2011, the number of applicants
by domestic is total 188 cases accounted for 80% of the whole number of
applications. It refelects the active technology development by the domestic
parts industries in the areas of Reflective Polarizer.
Also,
looking at it by the technology application status, “nano-wire grid type” that
may avoid the multi-layered reflective polarizer, DBEF’s patents(3M) mainly
occupies 52% with 121 cases and “cholesteric liquid crystal, CLC” occupies 18%
with 42 cases. Next, “birefringence polymer dispersed liquid crystal” has 35
cases accounted for 15% and “Multi-layer” or “others” have 34 cases in 14%.
KIPO said, “previously, the LCD reflective polarizing fime
market has been dominated by the expensive DBEF. But, as the domestic firms
contiously made an effort to develop the technology, the replaceable film is
now ready for the commercialization. So, we expect tthe domestic parts
companies to drive market.”