Samsung Display (SDC) has won its lawsuit against the Chinese display company BOE for "OLED patent infringement" filed with the US International Trade Commission (ITC). However, the ITC ruled that the case would not have any significant impact on the US display industry, and therefore decided not to impose any ban on the import and sale of BOE products in the US.
On March 19, 2025, the ITC confirmed its final ruling in the OLED patent investigation, upholding the November 2024 decision that no violation of Section 337 had occurred. This ruling limits the use of Section 337 investigations by foreign companies seeking to disrupt China's display industry, promoting a more open global competitive environment.
According to Chosun Biz, the ITC stated that in the patent infringement lawsuit filed by SDC, BOE infringed on three of SDC's patents, while US importers and wholesalers violated four of SDC's patents.
To maintain its OLED market dominance, SDC filed a Section 337 petition in December 2022, targeting 17 mobile screen repair companies and requesting a general exclusion order (GEO) to prevent Chinese OLED products from entering the US. BOE intervened in the investigation and secured a ruling that protected the interests of the OLED supply chain.
Although the ruling allows BOE to continue selling its products in the US, Chinese industry analysts believe the decision greatly bolsters SDC's standing in ongoing and future intellectual property disputes with Chinese competitors.
The legal battle between SDC and BOE is far from settled. Besides the ITC ruling, SDC has initiated several lawsuits against BOE, including a trade secret infringement case filed in October 2023 with the ITC. This lawsuit claims BOE illegally obtained proprietary OLED technology through collaboration with former and current SDC employees. A preliminary ruling on this case is expected in early May.
According to Channelnews, BOE, along with other Chinese OLED manufacturers, has filed motions to invalidate certain Samsung AMOLED patents, intensifying the ongoing legal battle.
While BOE's legal team sees the ITC's ruling as a partial win—given that it did not impose any sales bans—Samsung considers the decision a crucial victory in bolstering its intellectual property rights.
In a statement, SDC emphasized, "We will continue to safeguard our innovations, which have been the result of years of research and investment in OLED technology. We are committed to taking decisive action against patent infringements to uphold fair competition and reinforce our leadership in the industry."
Article edited by Charlene Chen
