Samsung has filed another lawsuit against one of its biggest competitors, China’s BOE

Samsung and BOE are among the world’s largest display manufacturers, and they have had a history of tussling in court. In March, Samsung won a patent dispute before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). Now the Korean manufacturer is again seeking justice, claiming that its Chinese competitor stole its trade secrets.

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Samsung alleges that BOE has engaged in systematic shady practices, poaching key employees and colluding with companies in Samsung’s supply chain to steal trade secrets from its Korean rival. As a result, BOE allegedly gained access to end-to-end information that allowed it to install OLED manufacturing equipment at its Chengdu plant. The Chinese manufacturer also allegedly obtained information that helped it develop micro-OLED displays.

In view of the foregoing, Samsung seeks damages, including but not limited to loss of operating profits. The case will be heard in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

The patent dispute, which ended in March, began in December 2022, when Samsung filed a complaint against 17 American wholesale suppliers of components: they imported OLED panels from China for smartphone repair, and these components, according to the company, violated five of its patents. The ITC found BOE guilty of violating three Samsung patents, and the American wholesalers – of violating four. In 2023, BOE began patent litigation with Samsung in a Chinese court.