Samsung Display, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, has filed a lawsuit against BOE Technology, a Chinese competitor, alleging the violation of five of its patents related to displays used in mobile devices, including Apple’s iPhone 12.
The complaint, filed in a U.S. court in East Texas known for expedited proceedings, requests damages and an injunction to prevent the import and sale of the disputed displays, Reuters news report said.

OLED displays, which offer high resolution and thinner form factors compared to traditional displays, have been utilized by Apple in products like the Apple Watch and various iPhone models, including the recently released iPhone 14.

Samsung Display has established dominance in the OLED display market, but BOE has been steadily closing the gap, surpassing LG Display to become the second-largest player last year, according to market researcher Omdia.

The lawsuit claims that Samsung Display has suffered and will continue to suffer irreparable harm due to BOE’s infringement on the ‘599 Patent,’ which enhances device image quality. Samsung Display believes that an injunction is necessary to protect its intellectual property rights and seeks appropriate compensation for the damages incurred.

This legal action follows a previous complaint filed by Samsung Display with the U.S. International Trade Commission in December, alleging patent infringement by multiple companies selling OLED screens as replacement displays for mobile devices. The commission initiated an investigation in response to the complaint.

In January of the previous year, Samsung Display executive Choi Kwon-young had already expressed the company’s intent to actively pursue compensation for its intellectual property amidst increasing competition in the mobile OLED screen market.