Samsung Display ups patent management to contain Chinese rivals

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Business

Tue, September 26, 2023 | 10:53

Tech

Samsung Display ups patent management to contain Chinese rivals

Posted : 2023-01-26 16:02

Updated : 2023-01-27 11:24

Samsung Display showcases OLEDs for smartphones that have peak brightness greater than 2,000 nits at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Jan. 5. Courtesy of Samsung Display

By Baek Byung-yeul

Samsung Display is increasing its efforts to protect its patented organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technologies, aiming to contain its Chinese rivals at a time when OLEDs are increasingly used not only in smartphones but also in other devices such as tablet PCs and laptops, according to industry sources, Thursday.

The display arm of Samsung Electronics recently filed lawsuits with the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) against smartphone parts wholesale suppliers in the United States such as Apt-Ability, MobileSentrix, Captain Mobile Parts and DFW Imports, claiming that they have supplied phone repair shops with replacement displays for Samsung's Galaxy phones and Apple's iPhones.

Samsung Display requested the U.S. agency to investigate these suppliers and ban the wholesalers from importing displays that allegedly infringe its patented technologies, such as Diamond Pixel technology.

An industry source said the displays the suppliers imported are made by Chinese display makers that use Samsung Display's patents without authorization.

"It is estimated that the displays for smartphone repairs are mostly produced by Chinese companies," the source said.

The company cited Section 337 of the U.S. Tariff Act of 1930 that declares the infringement of a U.S. patent, copyright, registered trademark or mask work to be an unlawful practice in import trade.

Samsung Display's move can be interpreted as an attempt to protect its intellectual property from Chinese manufacturers' infringements.

In a conference call in the first quarter of 2022, the company said it "will make every effort to protect our OLED technology."

An image captured from a YouTube video promoting Samsung Display's patented Diamond Pixel technology / Courtesy of Samsung Display

Unlike LCDs, OLEDs emit light by themselves rather than relying on a backlight. As such, devices using OLEDs can be thinner. Also, OLEDs have better color expression and contrast ratio and far faster response speeds than LCDs.

Samsung Display is a leader in smartphone OLEDs, providing its products to major smartphone makers. Market tracker Strategyanalytics said the company had a 53 percent share in the global smartphone display market in the first half of 2022, way higher than its Chinese rivals such as BOE and Tianma.

The Korean display maker has widened its technology gap with innovative technologies such as the Diamond Pixel technology that maximizes visual clarity and readability through its unique pixel structure.

Samsung Display's prowess in smartphone OLEDs was confirmed again at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas in early January, where it introduced OLEDs that have peak brightness greater than 2,000 nits for the first time in the industry.

For this advanced technology, the company received an Ultra Dynamic Range (UDR) certification from UL Solutions, a global safety science company.

baekby@koreatimes.co.kr