A German court has ordered Chinese TV maker TCL to stop advertising some of its products as quantum dot LED (QLED) TVs, ruling that the models fail to deliver the expected color reproduction. The decision came in a lawsuit filed by Samsung Electronics. It is expected to impact ongoing legal challenges against TCL's technology claims.
The District Court of Munich I in Germany recently ruled that TCL's German subsidiary violated the country's unfair competition law by advertising certain products, including the QLED870 series, as QLED TVs. Samsung Electronics filed the lawsuit in April last year, arguing that TCL's advertisements were deceptive. The court determined that this practice constituted deceptive trading.
The ruling highlighted that QLED TVs, as defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission, use blue light as the backlight and incorporate a quantum dot film between the panel and backlight to enhance color reproduction. This technology allows for more precise color control and expression, resulting in brighter images and better picture quality than conventional LED TVs. However, the court noted that the quantum dot diffusion plates employed by TCL did not achieve the anticipated improvements in color performance.
As a result, TCL's German unit is prohibited from advertising or selling not only the models in the lawsuit but also other products using the same technology as QLED TVs. Industry officials expect this decision to influence a series of lawsuits and reviews concerning the Chinese TV maker's technologies.
In November 2024, Hansol Chemical, a Korean manufacturer of quantum dot display materials, filed a complaint against TCL with the Fair Trade Commission, alleging that the company advertised TV models as QLED without the essential materials for genuine quantum dot panels. TCL is currently facing class action lawsuits in several U.S. states, including California and New York, over alleged false QLED advertising. Another Chinese display maker, Hisense, is encountering similar class actions in states such as New York and Illinois.
