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LG Exec Indicted Over Broken Samsung Washing Machine

Posted by samzenpus on from the breaking-the-law-and-machines dept.

itwbennett writes Jo Seong-jin, the head of LG's home appliance division, was indicted Sunday by prosecutors in Seoul for allegedly damaging Samsung Electronics' washing machines before the IFA electronics show in Berlin last September. The company says it was his regular practice to test the rival company's machines, something he has done while working for LG for the past 38 years, and has released closed-circuit television footage in his defense showing him testing Samsung products including washing machines, dish washers and refrigerators. Jo and two other employees are charged with vandalism, defamation and obstruction of business.

12 of 132 comments (clear)

  1. Taken to the cleaners... by The+New+Guy+2.0 · · Score: 5, Funny

    If you break your opponents washing machine, they'll have you "taken the the cleaners"....

    1. Re:Taken to the cleaners... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      I don't see any problem with *buying* your competitors product and doing some testing on it.
      Sounds like a good business practice, to see what the competition is up to.

      On the flip side, damaging your competitors products - that you didn't pay for - right before a trade show where they're going to show them off... yup, I'd consider that vandalism and a criminal act.

    2. Re:Taken to the cleaners... by burtosis · · Score: 5, Funny
      Yep, after coming clean he's all washed up. No spin needed, just left out to dry.

      da da dum. I'll be here all day folks

    3. Re:Taken to the cleaners... by Fear+the+Clam · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Agreed. Touching a competitor's setup at a trade fair is bush league.

      I don't buy that "testing" defense for a second. If you're a company that large you test by buying a machine anonymously at retail, take it to your labs, complete a test plan, then take it apart the see the build and components. Just randomly poking at stuff before a trade show isn't even going to give you much data.

    4. Re:Taken to the cleaners... by bobbied · · Score: 4, Funny

      At least these days you don't go though the wringer for this...

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    5. Re:Taken to the cleaners... by Carewolf · · Score: 5, Funny

      Agreed. Touching a competitor's setup at a trade fair is bush league.

      I don't buy that "testing" defense for a second. If you're a company that large you test by buying a machine anonymously at retail, take it to your labs, complete a test plan, then take it apart the see the build and components. Just randomly poking at stuff before a trade show isn't even going to give you much data.

      Doing this always breaks our machines. I wonder if our competitor has found a way to avoid it breaking?.... Oh, it appears not. How interesting.

    6. Re:Taken to the cleaners... by kelemvor4 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Agreed. Touching a competitor's setup at a trade fair is bush league.

      I don't buy that "testing" defense for a second. If you're a company that large you test by buying a machine anonymously at retail, take it to your labs, complete a test plan, then take it apart the see the build and components. Just randomly poking at stuff before a trade show isn't even going to give you much data.

      While I wouldn't be surprised if he broke the machines on purpose, I'm assuming these weren't available for purchase yet. That seems to be how companies work (including Samsung and LG) in other spaces such as televisions. In fact, many of those other products that they bring to shows are just concept devices that never make it to market without significant changes.

      While there probably is detailed testing like you describe going on, I think it's reasonable for an exec to check out the competition at a show.

    7. Re:Taken to the cleaners... by mysidia · · Score: 4, Insightful

      While there probably is detailed testing like you describe going on, I think it's reasonable for an exec to check out the competition at a show.

      However, if the show has not yet started, then probably nothing gives the competitor the right to do so.

      Frankly, I think the show venue should not allow such testing of machines that are being setup on display, without permission.

      No entering another vendor's booth without their permission and supervision.

      So the charge should be trespassing.

      There's nothing that says the products on display necessarily have to be done yet and 'fit' for normal use. The competitor has no permission to 'operate' the equipment, no manuals, etc, so touching it at all could be deemed as potential abuse.

      Being curious and testing shouldn't be considered as malicious vandalism, as long as its supervised and being tested only to the extent intended by the vendor.

    8. Re:Taken to the cleaners... by vux984 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Did you watch the video?

      He opened the door, and applied his weight to it. Apparently this damaged the hinges.

      I couldn't tell whether he put a reasonable or unreasonable stress on it. A reasonable amount of test would be completely acceptable; and a perfectly valid 'test'. When I shop for cars, its something I look at ... how solid the doors are, do they have any play in them, etc.

      Further the video follows the CCTV footage with commercials demonstrating the door, ... " Look how solid it is!" while they push down on it; showing a child sitting on it... etc. Its a selling point that the door isn't flimsy.

      So... was the guy attempting to damage it? Or was he just curious how solid it was? Did he push harder than reasonable?

      I don't think its cut and dry either way. Let the courts decide.

    9. Re:Taken to the cleaners... by Nemyst · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The claim is done in the context that the show hadn't started yet. Just like how a random member of the public wouldn't be expected to be allowed in, I don't think it's spurious to claim that a competitor also has no reason to be able to come over to your booth and start messing with your stuff. Once the show's started, all of that changes, of course.

  2. this is malarky. by nimbius · · Score: 4, Funny

    As an industry leading executive for the Maytag corporation, shenanigans like this are an outrage. Our washers have performed flawlessly for years on the other hand, with no outside intervention required to ensure your dress shirts are ripped, your trousers are torn, and the laundry left in 3 gallons of cold murky water. We work tirelessly, I assure you without any 'sabotage,' to create a washer capable of squirting tepid water out of the sides, and delivering that warm rolling black and grey smoke that you've come to expect from Maytag. Its why our slogan is more than just a statement, its a promise.

    Maytag: We'll trip a breaker.

    --
    Good people go to bed earlier.
  3. I'm confused by ripvlan · · Score: 5, Funny

    Is he accused of damaging these AT the trade show or in a store? Or was LG buying the products and returning them to their secret lab to poke/prod them?

    I guess I'd be mad if my flagship products failed at a trade show - only to find that somebody had put sand in the tank overnight.

    This reminds me of an old Click & Clack episode where a caller had purchased a used VW...and while cleaning the trunk had found paperwork indicating the car was owned by the Chevy (Ford?) proving grounds. Tom & Ray assured the caller that some test driver was comparing the competition had driven the car to within an inch of it's life - and that the caller should either purchase the extended warranty or trade the car in ... now! They also suggested that the test driver had purposely left the evidence behind as a warning to future owners.