This file provided by Samsung Display Co. shows the company’s campus in Asan, South Chungcheong Province.
SEOUL, May 12 (Korea Bizwire) – The head-on crash between South Korea and China in the display market is evolving into legal disputes.
According to the website of the Intermediate People’s Court of Chongqing Municipality, China-based BOE Technology Group Co. recently filed several lawsuits against the Chinese units of Samsung Electronics Co. and Samsung Display Co., claiming that they infringed on its patent rights.
For some of the lawsuits, the trial will begin on May 18, although details regarding the specifics of the patent infringement have yet to be disclosed.
Industry watchers interpreted BOE’s latest move as a retaliatory action against Samsung Display’s lawsuit filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) last year.
In December of last year, Samsung Display filed a lawsuit with the ITC against 17 U.S. component wholesalers, seeking a ban on their use of components and panels that infringe on its patented diamond pixel.
Although BOE was not included in the lawsuit filed by the South Korean display maker, it voluntarily agreed to undergo an investigation last month, effectively admitting that it is an actual defendant in the case.
With the ITC investigation underway, BOE appears to be making a counterattack by filing a lawsuit directly against Samsung, according to industry sources.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
