China’s top display panel manufacturer BOE Technology has filed six patent lawsuits against Samsung Display, as the war between panel makers spills into the courts.

BOE has also filed two further suits against a subsidiary of ecommerce giant JD.com.

According to BOE company records, all cases are over “infringement of patent rights of inventions” according to specifics were not disclosed.

The Korea Herald is reporting the lawsuits are regarding organic light-emitting diode panels, and that insiders say the legal action by BOE “is an attempt to deter the Korean display maker’s expansion in China.”

Other insiders are questioning whether this lawsuit is a retaliation after Samsung filed a complaint with the ITC (the US International Trade Commission) against 17 smartphone repair shops in the US, who use what Samsung called “illegal” panels from Chinese companies that infringe on its Diamond Pixel OLED panel patents.

Industry watchers here say the series of legal proceedings by the Chinese display panel supplier could be a “retaliatory” response to Samsung, which had filed a complaint against 17 smartphone repair shops in the US.

“Samsung has not mentioned BOE related to the ITC case, but the Chinese company must have felt guilt over the Diamond Pixel technology,” an industry official told Korea Herald.

Choi Kwon-young, executive vice president at Samsung Display told those on a January earnings call that the company will continue to crack down on these dodgy panels.

“We are actively looking into ways to better protect our intellectual property rights, an outcome of the hard work of all company officials.”