Chinese TV maker TCL has filed a lawsuit against Samsung in a Los Angeles federal court, Reuters reports. The suit targets Samsung’s advertising for its M series TVs, which TCL says are marketed with a Mini LED technology they don’t actually have.
According to TCL, Samsung took a cheap model from its reworked budget lineup that lacks Mini LED technology. Samsung then launched the model as a premium Mini LED product with a matching price tag. Mini LED backlighting uses much smaller LEDs than standard LED panels, allowing for far more precise control over brightness across the screen. TCL says that precision is what delivers a sharper picture with a wider dynamic range and higher contrast.
TCL argues that the M series has nothing to do with Mini LED technology at all. The company describes it as simply a reworked version of Samsung’s standard LED TVs. Samsung launched the M series in March. Its prices came in below TCL’s own cheapest Mini LED models, even though the marketing claimed Mini LED support.
TCL says it outsold Samsung in Mini LED TVs from 2023 through 2025, since its rival couldn’t match its pricing with a comparable product. Samsung came out on top in an earlier dispute between the two companies, though. A Munich court barred TCL from labeling its TVs as QLED, ruling it hadn’t proven the underlying technology was present.
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A TCL representative said Samsung’s cheap Mini LED knockoffs hurt the company’s sales, reputation, and technology. “This age-old story of corporate greed has been successful because the sham products have returned to Samsung the market share it stole from TCL and that TCL has fought hard to win,” the plaintiff said. Earlier this year, TCL narrowed the gap with Samsung in the global TV market to a single percentage point.
Samsung has denied the allegations and plans to fight the lawsuit in court, saying it stands fully behind the quality and accuracy of its product descriptions. The company instead points the finger at TCL, arguing that TCL’s own misleading advertising is what misled shoppers and got them to pay for falsely labeled TVs instead of the genuine picture quality Mini LED promises.
TCL is asking the court to bar Samsung from using the Mini LED name for its M series and is also seeking monetary damages.
