Buying QD Vision Patents Seen Giving Samsung ‘Freedom to Operate’ in Quantum Dots

Samsung’s agreement to buy QD Vision’s patents and trademarks for $70 million gives it the “freedom to operate” in quantum-dot technology for TVs and monitors and “advance its own R&D efforts,” said Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, in a Saturday blog post. If the future of displays and TVs is in quantum dots, “it will be helpful for Samsung to acquire” the 250 quantum-dot-related patents and trademarks in QD Vision’s portfolio, said Young, a onetime DisplaySearch founder. The acquisition gives Samsung “the upper hand” against competitors, which now may need to take a license from Samsung and pay a royalty to produce or use displays that compete with Samsung’s quantum-dot “implementations,” he said. Young doubted the acquisition will hurt Samsung’s close collaboration with Nanosys, the world’s largest supplier of quantum-dot technologies and materials. Young estimates that Nanosys quantum-dot films can be found in nearly 20 different Samsung SKUs in TVs ranging from 43 to 88 inches.