The Supreme Court has ruled that a patent held by LG Chem for a key material used in OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) displays, specifically for blue host materials, is valid.

On June 14, the Second Division of the Supreme Court (Justice Eom Sang-pil presiding) upheld the lower court's decision in favor of LG Chem in a patent invalidation lawsuit filed by the fine chemical company SFC.

SFC, a developer and manufacturer of organic materials for OLEDs, filed a petition with the Intellectual Property Trial and Appeal Board in 2019, claiming that LG Chem's patent for blue host materials was invalid.

The patent held by LG Chem, titled "Deuterated Compounds for Electronic Applications," relates to an invention involving anthracene-based compounds used as hosts for blue fluorescent emitters. By deuterating these compounds, the invention significantly improves the lifespan of the device while maintaining luminous efficiency.

In 2022, the Intellectual Property Trial and Appeal Board dismissed SFC's claim and ruled in favor of LG Chem.

SFC subsequently filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the board's decision, but both the Patent Court and the Supreme Court reached the same conclusion.

The Supreme Court determined that LG Chem's invention met the requirements for patent specification under patent law, was not substantially identical to previously filed inventions, and possessed the necessary inventive step.

Meanwhile, in a related matter, LG Chem filed a civil lawsuit against SFC in 2024, seeking tens of billions of won in damages and an injunction against the production and sale of the products in question. The first trial is currently underway at the Seoul Central District Court.

(Photo: Yonhap News)