Samsung facing another patent violation claim

Samsung Electronics faces a new claim of intellectual property infringement after a Dublin-based company filed a second complaint against the tech giant last week.

Neodron on Feb. 14 filed a second complaint with the United States International Trade Commission, asking it to investigate alleged patent infringement by Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and other global tech giants over the use of its touch screen technology.

Neodron alleged that the defendants’ touch-based mobile devices, computers and components infringed its patent. Other defendants include Amazon, Microsoft, Sony and LG Electronics.

Samsung declined to comment on the ongoing lawsuits.

Neodron filed a similar complaint against Samsung and other multinational tech companies last year. The U.S. agency launched an investigation into the case that year but has not published any results from the probe.

In a separate case, a British nanotechnology company sued Samsung Electronics in a district court in Texas, alleging patent infringement over Samsung’s use of quantum dots.

Quantum dots are microscopic nanocrystals made of semiconductor materials. Used for displays, they allow for higher brightness and better color accuracy than normal ultrahigh-definition TVs.

Samsung uses the technology in its QLED, or quantum-dot light-emitting diode, TVs.

Nanoco, which produces quantum dots used to make high-resolution displays, alleged that it had collaborated with Samsung to develop a material for liquid crystal display in 2010, although the joint project never grew into a partnership.

Samsung unveiled its quantum dot-based TV in 2015.

BY PARK EUN-JEE [park.eunjee@joongang.co.kr]