The long-running battle between Chinese and South Korean display manufacturers—spanning TVs, tablets, and smartphones—appears to be nearing its end after Samsung reached a settlement with Chinese panel giant BOE. The agreement follows a 14-year ban preventing BOE from shipping OLED panels into the United States.

Industry insiders warn that the settlement may deal another setback to LG Display. Major brands including Hisense, TCL, and Lenovo are now expected to increase their use of BOE-sourced OLED panels across a range of products.

According to Samsung insiders, Samsung Display— which previously accused BOE of stealing its OLED (organic light-emitting diode) intellectual property—has negotiated a deal that will require BOE to pay significant royalties moving forward.

For the past three years, Samsung Display has alleged that BOE used Samsung’s patented OLED technologies without authorization, exploited trade secrets obtained through former employees or suppliers, and unfairly accelerated its technological progress using know-how derived from Samsung’s own R&D investments.

One Samsung Display source said, “BOE has a track record of either stealing South Korean technology or attempting to persuade Samsung staff to leak proprietary information related to patented technology.”

Patent Infringement Fight

The conflict escalated in December 2022 when Samsung Display filed a complaint alleging that BOE’s OLED panels imported into the U.S. included several patented technologies, such as Samsung’s distinctive “Diamond Pixel” sub-pixel design.

In March of this year, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled that BOE had infringed three Samsung OLED-related patents. Samsung further alleged that BOE improperly hired or utilized former Samsung Display employees and leveraged supplier relationships to obtain access to confidential OLED technologies.

Samsung filed an additional trade-secret complaint with the ITC in October 2023, accusing BOE and seven subsidiaries of misappropriating OLED technology under Section 337 of the U.S. Tariff Act.

By July 2025, the ITC issued a preliminary finding that BOE and its affiliated companies had indeed misappropriated Samsung’s trade secrets. The commission recommended a limited exclusion order and a cease-and-desist order blocking BOE’s OLED panels from entering the U.S. market.

In multiple court filings, Samsung Display argued that BOE’s rapid rise in the premium OLED segment was made possible by stolen technology developed through Samsung’s years of investment and innovation.

Settlement Reached

This week, Samsung and BOE reached a settlement resolving the OLED technology dispute, ending nearly three years of legal battles. According to sources, the agreement favors Samsung and includes ongoing royalty payments from BOE.

The ITC, which had been scheduled to issue its final ruling this week, announced last night that it is suspending the case following the withdrawal of the complaint. While specific terms of the settlement remain undisclosed, Samsung Display is set to receive royalty payments tied to its OLED technologies.