In response to Samsung Display’s additional U.S. patent infringement lawsuit filed in April, BOE has fought back quickly—submitting an application to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTAB) late last month to initiate Inter Partes Review (IPR) for 7 of Samsung Display’s U.S. patents. These 7 patents are part of the 12 involved in 3 patent infringement lawsuits Samsung Display filed against BOE in the same period; the industry speculates BOE may later launch invalidity proceedings for the remaining 5 patents.
Looking back at the dispute: In April, Samsung Display also filed 3 patent infringement lawsuits and 1 trade secret theft lawsuit against BOE in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. It failed to secure a U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) import ban on BOE (a measure that could have applied strong pressure)—a move seen as "using civil cases to pressure BOE for licensing negotiation advantages." After this setback, Samsung Display appealed the ITC ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) in May.
In August, the ITC issued a preliminary ruling, imposing a limited import ban on BOE products alleged to infringe trade secrets; a final ruling is expected in November.
BOE’s counterattack this time is significantly faster than before. Back in December 2022, after Samsung Display filed a patent infringement investigation with the ITC, BOE waited 6 months to launch invalidity proceedings (claiming 5 patents were invalid). Later, the PTAB ruled 4 of those patents valid, and both parties appealed these 4 patents to the Federal Circuit Court.
In May this year, Samsung Display sued BOE again in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia—this time involving the above 4 valid patents and 1 undecided patent—and the court’s proceedings are advancing rapidly. Earlier, Samsung Display had sued over the same patents in a Texas court but later dismissed the case and transferred it to the Virginia court.
Industry insiders note that competition between Chinese and South Korean display firms is fierce, with patent litigation becoming a key tool. As Samsung and LG gradually lose their advantages in the OLED field, they are focusing on technical issues to block Chinese companies; patent disputes between the two sides may persist.
ICgoodFind：BOE’s rapid counterattack reflects its focus on patent rights and the intensifying patent war in the global display industry. Future litigation progress may reshape the OLED market pattern, which the industrial chain should monitor closely.
