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TechDirt reports:
We're used to corporate battles over product placement, intellectual property and market share, but they usually take the form of courtroom disputes, targeted advertising and bland mission statements. But two major consumer electronics companies' recent fight has not only found its way into a courtroom, but also involves the alleged deployment of Mafia-esque tactics. [paywall]
Last fall, Samsung placed some of its washing machines in a German shopping mall as a teaser/advertisement for its appearance at an upcoming trade show. That's when things turned surprisingly unprofessional.
Samsung accused LG executives of breaking the doors of several of its washing machines at two Berlin shopping centers[paywall] in what they claim was an attempt to gain a competitive advantage in the cutthroat appliance business, which market-research firm Euromonitor International says was worth about $400 billion globally last year.
[...] This dispute eventually made its way from mall display to the Korean courts.
A top LG Electronics Inc. executive has been indicted by Seoul prosecutors for allegedly vandalizing several high-end washing machines manufactured by rival Samsung Electronics Co.
An LG Electronics spokeswoman said Sunday that Jo Seong-jin, head of the company's home-appliance division, has been indicted on charges of deliberately damaging four Samsung "Crystal Blue" washing machines ahead of a trade show in Germany last September [paywall]. Mr. Jo has also been charged with defamation and obstruction of business, she said.Two other company executives have been indicted on similar charges over the same incident, the spokeswoman said.
LG had countersued for defamation and evidence tampering (it claims Samsung accessed the washing machines during their trip back from Berlin to be presented in court), but that will no longer move forward as a result of this court decision.
(Score: 3, Disagree) by n1 on Monday February 23 2015, @03:16PM
I don't know why you think appliances should last for 10 years. I mean sure they used to last 10 years+ and that was dandy, but that benchmark is not written into the market anywhere as a minimum lifespan.
Companies wont make their yearly profit growth targets if they manufacture goods to last for decades. They need repeat customers, they also need to lower the barrier to entry to get more customers in the first place. At this point i think if it was only well engineered appliances that will last your 10+ years on the market, new home appliances would only be for the top 10% of earners and the rest of us would be in the same situation we are in now, but with used appliances which are past their best and starting to have major components fail.
Regulations may vary but that is the minimum they are expected to meet, so on average probably 2-3 years is the intended lifespan in the global market, 5 probably for major components to avoid costs from 'extended warranties' - that is what the almighty market has decided.
Pop-culture reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUrH9YZ6k2k [youtube.com]