Hisense Company Ltd., et al.

Hisense Company Ltd. is a Chinese state-owned multinational conglomerate that manufactures major appliances and electronics. Founded in 1969 as the Qingdao No. 2 Radio Factory, the company is headquartered in Qingdao, Shandong province, China. Hisense Group has two publicly traded subsidiaries, Hisense Visual Technology (SSE: 600060) and Hisense Home Appliances (SZSE: 000921, SEHK: 921). The group employs over 100,000 people globally and reported revenue of approximately $27.9 billion in 2023.

Hisense is a major manufacturer of consumer electronics and home appliances. The company's primary product is televisions, and it has been the largest TV manufacturer in China by market share since 2004. Its product portfolio also includes refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, kitchen appliances, air conditioners, and mobile devices. In addition to its own brand, Hisense manufactures products for other companies as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and sells products under acquired brand names such as Toshiba, Gorenje, Kelon, and Ronshen.

As a major operating company, Hisense's patent litigation posture is primarily that of a defendant. The company has been named as a defendant in one tracked patent case in the U.S. and has not appeared as a plaintiff. This defensive posture is typical for a large technology manufacturer. The single tracked case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, a venue frequently favored by patent plaintiffs.

The case, Light Guide Innovations, LLC v. Hisense Company Ltd., et al., involves allegations of patent infringement related to LED backlight technology used in televisions and displays. The plaintiff, Light Guide Innovations, LLC, is a non-practicing entity (NPE) that has also sued other major television manufacturers, including Samsung and TCL, using a portfolio of patents acquired from Suzhou Lekin Semiconductor Co. Ltd. Unified Patents identifies Light Guide Innovations as an entity of Anjay Venture Partners LLC.