Philips ‘Currently Very Happy’ With Funai as TV Brand Licensee in North America

The current licensing contract under which Funai makes and markets Philips-brand TVs in North America (see 0804090105) runs through December 2018, Andy Mintz, senior vice president-head of global brand licensing at Philips Intellectual Property and Standards, emailed us Thursday. “We are currently very happy with Funai as the Brand Licensee for TV in North America.” Relations soured between the two companies when Philips announced in 2013 it was terminating the agreement to transfer its audio, video, multimedia and accessories global businesses to Funai for breach of contract, though it said then the termination didn’t apply to the Philips-Funai licensing agreement in North America. Philips later won a $152 million award against Funai from an international arbitrations court. TP Vision makes and markets Philips-brand TVs in most markets outside North America (see 1401240060).