Samsung, Nanoco settle patent dispute over LED TVs just before trial

(Reuters) – Samsung Electronics Co and British nanotechnology company Nanoco Technologies Ltd told an East Texas federal court Friday that they have settled Nanoco’s patent lawsuit over Samsung’s QLED televisions the same day a jury trial was set to begin.

The companies asked the court to halt the lawsuit over Samsung’s alleged infringement of Nanoco patents covering “quantum dot” technology for LED displays.

Nanoco said in a statement Friday that the companies had reached a “no-fault” settlement. It did not disclose any financial terms. Representatives of the companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Nanoco said its quantum dots are used to improve the backlighting of LED displays. It sued Samsung in 2020, alleging the Korean tech giant copied its technology after it sent Samsung samples of the dots while discussing a potential collaboration.

The lawsuit said Samsung began incorporating Nanoco’s technology into high-end QLED TVs launched in 2017.

Nanoco had asked the court for an unspecified amount of money damages and an order for Samsung to stop infringing its patents.

Samsung settled a patent dispute over its smartphone displays with Irish patent-licensing firm Solas OLED Ltd last year, after Solas won $78 million in damages from Samsung in the same East Texas court.

The case is Nanoco Technologies Ltd v. Samsung Electronics Co, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, No. 2:20-cv-00038.

For Nanoco: Michael Newman, James Wodarski, Michael Renaud, Thomas Wintner, and Matthew Galica of Mintz Levin

For Samsung: Gregory Arovas, Edward Donovan, and Jeanne Heffernan of Kirkland & Ellis

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Quantum tech company Nanoco files patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung

Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington

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