BOE and two of its subsidiaries have filed six lawsuits against Samsung and its five Chinese entities (mostly display panel and semiconductor companies) at the Chongqing No 1 Intermediate People’s Court in southwestern China. In addition, BOE initiated two other lawsuits against Chongqing Jingdong Jiapin Trading Co, a subsidiary of e-commerce giant JD.com, that sells electronic products online. The lawsuits are centered on disputes over infringement of patent rights of inventions, according to the South China Post.
Last year, Samsung had filed a complaint with the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) against 17 smartphone repair shops in the U.S., alleging that they were using “illegal” display panels that violated Samsung’s intellectual property rights to repair Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones and Apple’s iPhones. The ITC, a body that investigates the impact of imports on U.S. industries, started an investigation into BOE even though Samsung’s complaint did not name any specific screen supplier.
This legal battle comes at a crucial time as BOE is predicted to surpass Samsung as Apple’s top screen supplier by 2024. Last year, Samsung had suggested that Apple not use BOE’s display technology because it only made a “slight change” to Samsung’s own screen system. However, BOE unveiled its self-developed “Blue Diamond” pixel arrangement system that optimises display clarity.
BOE has been supplying displays for Apple since the release of the iPhone 12 in 2020. In 2021, BOE produced 10% of all organic light-emitting diode displays for iPhones, shipping 16 million units to Apple. This lawsuit represents the first legal action by BOE against Samsung in this ongoing dispute. The cases are expected to be heard by the Chongqing court next Thursday, with a follow-up hearing set for August next year.
