According to the latest reports, Samsung Electronics’ display subsidiary has just scored a major victory. South Korea’s Supreme Court has acquitted Samsung Display of stealing OLED technology from its local rival LG Display.
The lawsuit between the two South Korean companies has been going on for seven years. LG Display’s position is that its stolen OLED technology ended up in Samsung Display’s hands. However, the Supreme Court has now upheld the verdict of “not guilty” in the second instance.
The charges were brought against the CEO of one LG Display supplier and four Samsung Display employees. Employees from LG Display suppliers allegedly leaked LG Display’s OLED Face Seal technology to Samsung Display employees through confidential documents.
The crime was allegedly committed three or four times in 2010. Face Seal is a sealing and bonding technology developed by LG Display to improve the lifespan of OLED panels by preventing air from contacting OLED elements. The allegations have consequences under South Korea’s Trade Secret Protection and Unfair Competition Prevention Act.
During the trial, the focus will be on determining whether the leaked documents are indeed trade secrets. In the original trial, they were deemed so, that the head of the LG Display supplier and four Samsung Display employees were all sent to prison. However, in the second trial, the suspects were all acquitted. The research paper found that the leaked documents contained information that was already widely known in the industry.
The court also noted that the technology developed exclusively by LG Display and the technology jointly developed by the suppliers were mixed, making it difficult to distinguish between the two. The court ruled that in the case of Samsung Display employees, it was unclear whether they knowingly attempted to obtain confidential information.
South Korea’s Supreme Court upheld the second-instance ruling, and all suspects have been acquitted. Neither Samsung Display nor LG Display has commented on the matter, but apparently, this is a major win for Samsung against one of its biggest local rivals.
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