[Exclusive] OLED Partnership Rumors Grow... Samsung and LG Clash Over IPS Trademark Rights

Correction of Narrow Viewing Angle in LCD Panels with IPS
LG Filed Trademark Opposition Against Samsung First in Korea Last Year... Also Opposed in the US

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Samsung Electronics and LG Display are engaged in a trademark dispute related to IPS technology, which is widely used in LCD monitors. The two companies, which have experienced multiple patent and trademark wars over displays, are clashing again in a field where they previously had conflicts, amid rumors of cooperation on TV OLED panels.

According to the business community on the 17th, Samsung Electronics and LG Display are currently undergoing an opposition procedure regarding the IPS trademark at the United States Patent and Trademark Office Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (USPTO TTAB). The procedure began when LG Display filed an opposition two months after Samsung Electronics’ IPS trademark, applied for in December 2020 and announced for registration last September, citing similarity to five trademarks LG Display owns.

LG Display's IPS trademark (left) and Samsung Electronics' IPS trademark. (Photo by U.S. Patent and Trademark Office)

IPS is a screen driving method that corrects the narrow viewing angle of LCD panels and is a technical term developed by Hitachi in 1996. Later, in April 2000, LG Display succeeded in the world’s first mass production and has been using IPS technology as a core focus, holding numerous related trademarks since 2010.

LG Display stated, "We use the IPS trademark on various products in the United States, not limited to computer monitors, TVs, or various displays, but also in many consumer electronics," adding, "The two trademarks are very similar in appearance and impression, which may cause confusion and mistakes among the public regarding the products."

The USPTO Trademark Trial and Appeal Board plans to hear both parties’ positions starting next month and make a final decision on Samsung Electronics’ trademark registration. Samsung Electronics declined to comment, saying it is an "ongoing matter."

Samsung Electronics and LG Display already faced off once last year over the same issue at the Korean Intellectual Property Office. Samsung Electronics filed for the trademark domestically in December 2020, the same time as the USPTO application, and when the registration was announced in March last year, LG Display filed an opposition, and the trademark has not yet been registered.

This conflict over IPS is drawing attention because the two companies have experience clashing over core LCD technology about 20 years ago. Initially, Samsung and LG used the TN technology method, where liquid crystal elements were arranged in a twisted form in the early LCD market. However, criticism arose that TN panels showed completely different colors depending on the viewing angle, and to secure a wide viewing angle, Samsung adopted the VA method, arranging liquid crystal elements vertically, while LG chose the IPS method, arranging them horizontally. Since 2010, Samsung Electronics has produced PLS panels using IPS technology.

Samsung and LG have fought multiple trademark wars related to displays. In 2020, regarding the next-generation display technology called ‘QNED,’ Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics both tried to register the trademark first, but were rejected on the grounds that it was merely a technical description. The issue was eventually settled by including each company’s name, such as ‘Samsung QNED’ and ‘LG QNED.’

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.