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Samsung hit by OLED patent lawsuit from LG Display

The LCD maker is charging Samsung with violating seven patents related to OLED technology.

Lance Whitney Contributing Writer
Lance Whitney is a freelance technology writer and trainer and a former IT professional. He's written for Time, CNET, PCMag, and several other publications. He's the author of two tech books--one on Windows and another on LinkedIn.
Lance Whitney
2 min read

Already reeling from legal battles with Apple, Samsung is the target of yet another patent lawsuit.

LG Display said today that it has filed a patent infringement suit against the handset maker, alleging that Samsung violated seven of its OLED (organic light-emitting diode) patents.

The lawsuit specifically claims that Samsung infringed on the design of LG's OLED panels, driver circuitry and device design, reported the Wall Street Journal. LG is looking for an unspecified amount in damages and a permanent injunction of five infringing products, including the Galaxy S3 phone, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 tablet, and the Galaxy Note "phablet."

"The company filed a damage suit (against Samsung) to protect its indigenous technologies that took an enormous amount of money and people to develop over a long period of time," an LG official announced at a press conference, according to the Yonhap News Agency.

OLED displays are thinner, lighter, and brigher than traditional LCD displays, giving them an advantage in mobile phones and tablets. Headquartered in Korea, LG and Samsung are top manufacturers of AMOLED displays.

CNET contacted both LG Display and Samsung for comment and will update the story if we receive any information.

Samsung did issue a statement picked up by the Journal, which said the suit "seems to be an inevitable choice to reverse [LG's] negative image due to OLED technology theft from Samsung."

Earlier this year, 11 current and former employees at Samsung Mobile were arrested over charges that they allegedly stole and leaked information to LG about a Samsung AMOLED TV. In July, the Associated Press reported that six of LG's own workers were involved in the theft of Samsung's OLED technology between 2010 and 2011.

LG Display has denied any wrongdoing in the matter. But earlier this month, Samsung filed an injunction against LG seeking damages over the alleged theft.