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Samsung Display and China's BOE have quietly resolved a three-year legal battle over OLED technology, with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) confirming the case is suspended. Industry sources say the deal likely involves an out-of-court settlement and royalty payments that could reopen U.S. import channels for BOE's panels.
What changed — and why it matters
The dispute centered on allegations that BOE misappropriated Samsung's trade secrets and violated patents tied to OLED displays. At one point BOE faced a preliminary, nearly 15-year ban on exporting OLED panels to the United States under the U.S. Tariff Act — a move that would have reshaped the global display supply chain.
According to Yonhap News and ITC statements, the enforcement action is now on hold while the parties withdraw the case. Although neither company has disclosed the settlement terms, multiple industry insiders indicate BOE agreed to license Samsung's intellectual property and pay royalties for continued use of the technology.
Ripple effects across device makers and the supply chain
BOE is a major supplier for smartphone brands including Apple, Huawei, vivo and Oppo. If BOE resumes shipments of OLED panels to the U.S., smartphone manufacturers could regain access to a broader supplier pool — a shift that often eases component shortages and can influence pricing and production timelines.
- Licensing and royalties: The settlement suggests BOE will pay for Samsung's IP, avoiding protracted litigation and steep import bans.
- US imports likely to restart: With the ITC suspension, BOE can petition to resume shipments, restoring options for American and global OEMs.
- Market competition: Reopening BOE as a viable vendor intensifies competition among OLED suppliers, which may benefit device makers.
- Watch for precedent: The case highlights how trade-secret enforcement can steer commercial partnerships and licensing deals in high-value tech sectors.
For now, managers and procurement teams at handset makers will be watching closely: will BOE's return deepen supply resilience or trigger renegotiations across the industry? Either way, this settlement marks a major turning point for OLED sourcing and underscores how intellectual property disputes continue to shape hardware markets.
Source: gsmarena
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