Samsung Display has secured a win in its patent infringement case against China’s largest display maker, BOE Technology, with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) ruling in favor of the South Korean company nearly two years and three months after the complaint was filed in December 2022. The case centered on unauthorized use of Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) technology. The ruling is seen as a setback for what South Korean industry officials have characterized as technology misappropriation by Chinese firms aggressively closing the gap in advanced OLED development. South Korea is currently estimated to maintain a one- to two-year lead over China in OLED technology, though the margin has been shrinking steadily.
On Mar. 19 local time, the ITC found that BOE had infringed three of Samsung Display’s OLED-related patents. The Korean firm initially filed the complaint in 2022, alleging that OLED panels manufactured by BOE and sold in the U.S. for smartphone screen repairs unlawfully incorporated five of its patented technologies, including its proprietary “Diamond Pixel” design. This marks the first time Samsung has prevailed in a patent dispute against a Chinese display producer.
As the case dealt solely with patent infringement, the ruling does not require BOE to immediately pay damages to Samsung Display. However, it is expected to carry significant weight in a separate civil suit currently underway in the Eastern District of Texas, where Samsung is pursuing financial compensation over the same matter. Depending on the outcome of that case, Samsung could be awarded damages or secure licensing fees for the use of its OLED technologies. A Samsung Display representative said the company will “continue to take firm action against OLED patent infringement to protect our market competitiveness.”
