Using five of its patents for screens used in mobile devices, including Apple's iPhone 12, Samsung Display of South Korea has filed a lawsuit against BOE Technology of China.

A federal jury in Texas was petitioned by Samsung Display, a division of Samsung Electronics, to award damages for the violation of patents on organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays provided by BOE. Samsung also asks the court for an injunction to prevent the import and sale of the impacted displays.

The US court in East Texas, which is known for having expedited hearings and case rulings, received the case filing.

On some of its Apple Watch and iPhone models, including the newest iPhone 14, Apple has been using OLED panels. According to Apple, OLED offers higher resolution and enables thinner displays than conventional displays.

According to market analyst Omdia, Samsung Display dominates the OLED display market, with BOE closing the distance after surpassing LG Display of South Korea as the number two player last year.

According to market analyst Omdia, Samsung Display dominates the OLED display market, with BOE closing the distance after surpassing LG Display of South Korea as the number two player last year.

"Samsung Display has suffered, and will continue to suffer, irreparable harm as a result of defendants' infringement of the '599 Patent' for which there is no adequate remedy at law, unless Defendants' infringement is enjoined by this Court," the lawsuit says, referring to the 599 patent, which improves the image quality of a device.

The US International Trade Commission opened an investigation after receiving a complaint from Samsung Display in December alleging patent infringement by many businesses selling OLED panels as replacement displays for mobile devices.

In answer to an analyst query regarding the escalating competition in the market for mobile OLED screens, Samsung Display chief Choi Kwon-young stated in January of last year that the business was actively looking for ways to get remuneration for its intellectual property.

South Korea is a manufacturing powerhouse, producing everything from chips and displays to cars, but Chinese competitors have been posing an increasing threat to South Korean businesses.

A former Samsung Electronics executive was charged this month with violating national economic security laws by allegedly stealing trade secrets for a counterfeit chip manufacturer in China.