U.S. imaging solution company Cellect LLC has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung Electronics Co., the latest to join the growing list of names engaged in patent lawsuits with the South Korean semiconductor and IT giant.

According to sources on Thursday, Cellect demanded a jury trial from a federal court in Colorado in its filing against Samsung Electronics in Seoul and Samsung Electronics America last month. A jury trial is not entitled to dismissal of the lawsuit.

Cellect claims Samsung manufactured and sold smartphones and tablets by using its technology related to CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) image sensing, which is widely used inside smartphones and digital cameras for its fast data conversion speed and low power consumption. Cellect targets a wide range of Samsung products based on the punitive remedy under Section 284 of the U.S. Patent Act, which grants federal judges the discretion to increase the damages up to three times the amount found or assessed.

Samsung Electronics has become a major target of patent litigation in Korea and elsewhere since last year. Taiwan’s CyWee Group filed a suit against the company for patent infringement on a particular combination of sensors of a 3D pointing device, while U.S. data encryption firm PACid Technologies sued Samsung Electronics, claiming the latest Galaxy S phones have infringed its patents related to biometric solutions.

Early last month KAIST IP, the licensing arm of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), also filed a patent suit against Samsung, claiming its 3-dimensional semiconductor process technology was infringed by the company.

Market watchers say Samsung Electronics may face additional patent lawsuits from tech companies or patent trolls seeking huge compensations, given the Korean tech giant’s market position and profitability in the global semiconductor market.

Shares of Samsung Electronics finished Friday up 0.8 percent at 44,200 won ($38.86).

By Lee Sang-duk and Minu Kim

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