It's being reported today that Samsung Display has filed a lawsuit against China's BOE in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, alleging misappropriation of trade secrets related to organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology. This move follows a previous complaint lodged with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in 2023, intensifying legal pressure on BOE through the additional civil lawsuit, reports BusinessKorea.

According to industry sources, Samsung Display recently filed a trade secret infringement lawsuit with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas against BOE and seven of its affiliates

In its complaint, Samsung Display stated, “We are filing this lawsuit to halt BOE’s unauthorized use of our intellectual property (IP).” The company also pointed out that BOE is currently using Samsung Display’s technical drawings to construct a new OLED production facility in Chengdu, China.

Samsung Display requested the court to provide remedies including compensation for lost business profits due to trade secret infringement, restitution of BOE’s unjust enrichment, and punitive damages amounting to double the assessed damages. The Eastern District of Texas, where the lawsuit was filed, is widely known for its plaintiff-friendly stance in cases involving patent litigation.

Earlier, in November 2023, Samsung Display filed a trade secret misappropriation complaint with the ITC, alleging that BOE had, since the end of 2017, infringed on its intellectual property rights, including trade secrets related to OLED panels and module technologies, through its business partner Toptec, thereby violating U.S. law through unfair competitive practices.

Patently Apple reported back on February 21, 2025 that BOE was supplying Apple with OLED panels for the iPhone 16e model. This could be a part of Samsung's claim of "lost business profits."