LG Display and Samsung Display’s feud over technology theft intensified last Sunday, following a prosecution decision that indicted several Samsung employees were involved in a case of alleged industrial spying.
Four Samsung Display employees and the CEO of an LG Display subcontractor were charged without detention by Suwon District Prosecutor’s Office last Friday for violating the unfair competition law and the law of protecting confidential business information.
The Samsung Display employees were charged for illegally acquiring LG Display’s OLED-related technology business secrets by getting info from the LG Display subcontractor’s office in 2010.
In response, Samsung Display released a statement on Sunday urging LG Display to stop making accusations.
"We regret that the prosecution indictment applied an immoderate standard to usual business between companies," Samsung Display said.
"The indicted subcontractor briefed our employees about its products to expand its sales, and conducted tests. This is a general business method."
Samsung Display claims the cited technology demonstrated was widely known, and not a business secret that had to be acquired illegally.
The company also refuted that a LG Display executive surnamed Kim was fined on Feb. 6, 2015 for illegally acquiring business secrets, and that it was not right for LG Display to play innocent.