Samsung Display seeks import ban against China’s BOE from the U.S. ITC،
Samsung Display, the largest supplier of display panels to the smartphone industry, has filed a complaint against its Chinese competitor BOE Technology Group with the United States International Trade Commission (ITC). Samsung Display accuses BOE of stealing its trade secrets. Samsung Display has confirmed that it has filed a complaint against BOE, this is the first time Samsung Display has made such accusations against BOE.
An ITC document obtained and shared by
Reuters shows that the complaint, known as
Certain organic light-emitting diode display modules and their components, DN 3704, was filed by Samsung Display on October 31. The document states that BOE violated US law and used “unfair competitive methods” by infringing on Samsung Display’s intellectual property, including trade secrets. Samsung Display claims that BOE’s illegal actions were related to organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display modules and components.
Due to a shortage of display driver ICs, BOE has unilaterally decided to increase the circuit width of thin film transistors used in the panels and, as you would expect, Apple doesn’t like that a supplier discreetly deviates from its specifications. Additionally, the unapproved workaround that BOE attempted to circumvent Apple may have something to do with Samsung Display eventually informing Apple that BOE was infringing on its pixel structure and touch-electrode OLED patents.
BOE was supposed to join Samsung Display and LG Display this year and supply OLED panels for the
iPhone 15 series. But the company had problems with cutouts for the FaceTime
camera and sensors for FaceID and Apple ended up canceling orders for panels that it had placed with BOE and entrusted these orders to Samsung Display. BOE said it was seeking to have Samsung’s patents declared invalid.
As for Samsung’s lawsuits, South Korea in general is looking to crack down on technology leaks, and analysts in the country say the majority of those leaks end up in China. A document linked to the filing states that “Samsung’s complaint alleges violations of Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 USC 1337) upon importation into the United States, sale for importation, and sale to United States after importation of certain organic light-emitting diode display modules and their components.
Samsung accuses several BOE subsidiaries in the complaint, including BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd. from China; Mianyang BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd. from China; Ordos Yuansheng Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. from China; Chengdu BOE Optoeletronics Technology Co., Ltd. from China; Chongqing BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd. from China; Wuhan BOE Optoeletronics Technology Co., Ltd. from China; BMOT f/k/a Kunming BOE Display Technology of China; and BOE Technology America Inc. of China.
