Samsung acquitted over LG OLED tech theft
June 20, 2022
By Chris Forrester
A 7-year legal battle between LG Display and Samsung Display over alleged theft of certain OLED technology from LG Display has ended with the accused being wholly acquitted.
South Korea’s Supreme Court upheld a second trial which delivered ‘not guilty’ verdicts against a former senior executive at a subcontractor to LG Display and four employees at Samsung.
The accusations centred on the violating of the country’s trade secret protection law and prevention of unfair competition law.
The senior executive from LG Display’s partner sub-contracting firm was accused of handing over LG Display’s OLED Face Seal technology and related confidential documents to Samsung Display employees over three to four times in 2010. Face Seal is a sealing and bonding technology that extends display life span by preventing air contact of OLED element.
The four Samsung staffers were indicted on charges of stealing confidential business information.
Initially, the five were sentenced to periods of imprisonment but were freed on appeal.