Germany is the arena for yet another legal battle between tech giants – Samsung Electronics just won a case against TCL over “fake QLED” TVs.
Quantum dots are used in certain display types for improved efficiency and color accuracy. For example, some Samsung TVs use ultraviolet backlight. Ultraviolet LEDs are very efficient, but UV isn’t even in the visible spectrum. Quantum dots absorb this UV light and output visible light in the desired color. An additional advantage to this approach is that quantum dots are much easier to tune to an exact wavelength of light than a typical LED.
Samsung was able to demonstrate that certain TCL TVs did not use quantum dot technology despite their advertising suggesting otherwise. TCL was not able to refute that in front of the Munich I Regional Court.
Six different series of TVs are affected – the court ordered TCL to stop advertising those TVs as “QLED” and to correct false statements about them. Note, however, that this ruling is not legally binding yet and TCL can appeal.
It’s not just Germany, though, Samsung has similar cases against TCL in the US and in Korea too. The outcome of the case in Germany could influence these other cases too.