Court orders TCL to halt QLED claims for some TVs, citing misleading advertising
A German court has ruled against Chinese electronics manufacturer TCL, finding that the company engaged in misleading advertising by marketing certain televisions as QLED TVs, despite those TVs lacking sufficient quantum-dot technology. The ruling supports a complaint filed by Samsung Electronics.
Industry sources confirmed Thursday that the Munich Regional Court has ordered TCL’s German division to cease marketing specific models, including the QLED870 series, as QLED TVs. The court determined that TCL’s advertising practices violated Germany’s fair competition law.
Samsung initiated the legal action in April of the previous year, arguing that TCL had falsely advertised its televisions as utilizing quantum-dot technology. The recent ruling, delivered approximately a year later, effectively validates Samsung’s accusations.
Quantum-dot technology is widely recognized for its ability to enhance brightness and color accuracy, typically associated with premium TVs. However, the court concluded that the quantum-dot materials used in the identified TCL models did not significantly improve color reproduction.
The court stated that advertising these products as QLED TVs, despite the minimal impact of the quantum-dot technology, was likely to deceive consumers and therefore constituted unfair commercial practice.
According to the court order, TCL’s German subsidiary must immediately stop advertising the specified models as QLED TVs. Furthermore, the company is prohibited from marketing or selling other products using the same technology under the QLED designation within Germany.
Generally, QLED TVs incorporate a quantum-dot film positioned between a blue backlight and the display panel to enhance color expression and brightness. This definition is standardized by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), a global standards organization.
TCL has previously faced scrutiny for advertising certain TVs as QLED products, even though reports indicate that only negligible amounts of quantum-dot materials were used.
Samsung has also directly targeted Chinese TV manufacturers through its marketing initiatives. In October of last year, Samsung released a video titled “Where is the real QLED?” on its global YouTube channel. This video directly criticized the marketing claims of competitors regarding quantum-dot technology.
TCL is also currently facing class-action lawsuits in California and New York alleging false advertising related to its QLED TVs. Hisense, another Chinese TV manufacturer, is facing similar lawsuits in New York and Illinois.
Industry analysts suggest that the German court’s decision could influence the ongoing litigation in the United States, as well as a related investigation by South Korea’s antitrust regulator.
In an unrelated case, a German court ruled that TCL’s “NXT Frame” trademark infringed on Samsung’s “The Frame” trademark, leading TCL to discontinue using the “NXT Frame” branding.
