QLED without visible effect! TCL lost a lawsuit against Samsung, affected models are also sold here

When you buy a television with a QLED label, you expect quantum dots — nanoparticles that improve brightness and color accuracy — to actually be working inside. However, not every manufacturer takes this technology equally seriously. The Munich Regional Court has now ruled that TCL is not allowed to sell or advertise some of its televisions as QLED in Germany, because they do not actually offer what customers legitimately expect from quantum dots.

Quantum dots without effect

Samsung filed the lawsuit in April last year. The Korean manufacturer argued that TCL designates televisions as QLED whose quantum dots do not contribute to improving color reproduction. The court sided with Samsung. Specifically, the verdict concerns the QLED870 series and five other model series sold in Germany — a total of six television series (C805, C655, C508, C69B). Some of these are currently sold, or have been sold in the past, in the Czech Republic.

The core of the problem lies in how TCL applies quantum dots. While classic QLED televisions insert a quantum film between the blue backlight and the panel, which changes the light spectrum and significantly improves color accuracy, TCL, according to the court, applied only a minimal amount of quantum dots to the diffuser plate. The result? No measurable improvement in color reproduction. The court therefore evaluated the QLED designation in this case as a deceptive business practice under German unfair competition law.

Laboratory tests showed that quantum dots are missing

The case has its roots in 2024, when the South Korean company Hansol Chemical (a supplier of display materials, collaborating with Samsung) had three TCL televisions independently tested in SGS laboratories in Geneva and Intertek in the UK. The results were surprising — neither indium nor cadmium were detected in the tested models, which are elements necessary for creating functional quantum dots. TCL disputed the results and presented its own tests performed on isolated display components, where cadmium was found. The difference in methodology — a finished television versus a separate component — remains a subject of debate to this day.

It’s not just about Germany

The Munich court’s verdict currently applies only to Germany, but Samsung is pursuing similar disputes in other countries. In the USA, TCL faces class-action lawsuits in California and New York, and another Chinese manufacturer, Hisense, is dealing with the same situation in New York and Illinois. The South Korean antitrust authority is also investigating the case. The German court’s decision could thus set a precedent for further proceedings.

By the way, this is not TCL’s first lost dispute with Samsung in Germany. Previously, the Chinese manufacturer had to withdraw the “NXT Frame” designation for its lifestyle TV series because it infringed Samsung’s “The Frame” trademark.

TCL has not yet officially commented on the verdict, but an appeal is expected. Paradoxically, even the televisions involved in the dispute performed very well in reviews. However, good reviews are one thing, and what the manufacturer actually puts into the panel is another.

Should manufacturers be required to prove that their QLED televisions actually contain functional quantum dots?