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China’s top display maker BOE slaps Samsung with patent-infringement lawsuits, heating up rivalry between the 2 Apple suppliers
- BOE and two of its subsidiaries have filed six lawsuits against Samsung and its five Chinese entities at a court in the southwestern city of Chongqing
- The legal actions represent the Chinese tech company’s first salvo against Samsung, which had instigated a trade dispute in the US last year
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Coco Fengin Beijing
Top Chinese display panel manufacturer BOE Technology Group has slapped rival Samsung Electronics with a series of patent-infringement lawsuits, ratcheting up the intellectual property dispute between the two major Apple suppliers ahead of the launch of new iPhones later this year.
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Beijing-based BOE and two of its subsidiaries recently filed six lawsuits against the South Korean tech conglomerate and its five Chinese entities – mostly display panel and semiconductor companies – at the Chongqing No 1 Intermediate People’s Court in southwestern China, according to company records tracked by business data provider Qichacha.
Two other lawsuits were initiated by BOE against Chongqing Jingdong Jiapin Trading Co, a subsidiary of e-commerce giant JD.com that sells electronic products online.
Without elaborating, all eight cases filed by BOE involved “disputes over infringement of patent rights of inventions”, according to company records. These are expected to be heard by the Chongqing court next Thursday, with a follow-up hearing set for August next year.
BOE, Samsung and JD.com did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
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The legal actions taken by Shenzhen-listed BOE, whose largest shareholder is an asset management firm under the Beijing municipal government, represent the Chinese tech company’s first salvo against Samsung, which had instigated a trade dispute last year.
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