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TCL sued Samsung in the United States, accusing the rival of misleadingly marketing the M series TVs as Mini LED models. According to TCL, the main issue is how the technology used in Samsung’s new M80H and M70H TVs is presented. The Chinese manufacturer says the edge-lit Mini LED backlight used in those sets does not provide the key function associated with this technology. Samsung rejects the allegations and says it will defend its position in court. The case also shows how important the definitions of terms like LED, QLED, and Mini LED have become in the TV industry.
TCL challenges Samsung's use of the name "Mini LED"
At the heart of the dispute are Samsung's new M80H and M70H TVs, which use an LCD panel with edge‑lit Mini LED backlighting. In typical Mini LED designs the backlight LEDs are positioned behind the panel and work with local dimming. It is the dimming zones that allow independent control of different areas of the backlight. That enables higher contrast and brightness and improves overall picture quality. TCL argues that labeling TVs that lack such a system as Mini LED could suggest to consumers capabilities the devices do not actually offer. The company accuses Samsung of repurposing a low‑end model from an earlier product line and presenting it as an advanced Mini LED TV. TCL also claims these sets lack the technological improvements traditionally associated with Mini LED. Among other things, the company is seeking to prevent Samsung from using the term "Mini LED" in relation to the disputed technology. The lawsuit also seeks damages, the exact amount of which has not been disclosed. Samsung denies the allegations and says it will defend itself in court. The company states that it fully stands by the quality of its products and the accuracy of their descriptions. So the dispute is not only about a specific TV model but also about how manufacturers may use technology names in marketing materials. TCL takes a stricter approach and uses the term "Mini LED" to refer to LCD TVs equipped with local dimming.
Samsung and TCL have been disputing TV technology names for years
Samsung itself calls LCD TVs with Mini LED and local dimming Neo QLED, while TCL uses the name Mini LED directly for such designs. However, Samsung began offering LCD TVs with edge-lit Mini LED last year with the launch of The Frame Pro. In 2026 the solution also made its way into budget models M80H and M70H. This is not the first dispute between the two companies over how to name technologies used in TVs. In the past Samsung accused TCL of improperly using the term QLED for models that, it claimed, did not contain enough quantum-dot material. Samsung has also previously faced lawsuits over calling LCD TVs "LED TV." In practice, the names used by manufacturers can lead to arguments about what a specific term should actually mean. Mini LED itself is technically a designation for a type of backlighting used in LCD TVs. A similar issue can affect TVs labeled RGB LED, since they can use either edge-lit backlighting or a local-dimming design. The TCL case against Samsung comes at a time of particularly intense competition among manufacturers in the Mini LED market. According to Counterpoint Research, TCL and Hisense already overtook Samsung in market share for this segment in 2024. The lawsuit was filed just before this year's IFA trade show in Berlin, where manufacturers present new devices and technologies. The further course of the case will now be determined by the legal actions of both companies and the position of the U.S. court.
TCL has filed a lawsuit in the US against Samsung, challenging Samsung's use of the term "Mini LED" in its new M80H and M70H TVs. The main point of contention is the use of edge-lit backlighting without local dimming. Samsung denies the allegations and says information about its products is accurate. The case could influence how manufacturers describe and market backlight technologies in future TVs.
source: flatpanelshd
