LG Chem and SFC Both Appeal Blue OLED Patent Ruling in Korea

The patent at stake

The dispute centers on LG Chem's patent No. 1427457, titled "deuterated compounds for electronic applications." It covers deuterated aryl-anthracene compounds that improve the luminous efficiency and lifespan of OLEDs. South Korea's Supreme Court upheld the patent's validity in May. Its scope has narrowed, however: LG Chem amended it at the Intellectual Property Trial and Appeal Board in October 2023, while the invalidation dispute was at the Patent Court stage. It sued SFC for infringement in December 2024.

SFC's IPO filing

In a securities registration statement filed last month, SFC said the 8 billion won award equals about 37% of its 2025 operating profit of 21.7 billion won. The full 33.9 billion won claim exceeds that profit, so damages could rise depending on the appeal. SFC also said the products at issue, which entered mass production in 2022 and 2023, are older models being phased out, so it expects little effect on future R&D and sales. It added that LG Chem does not produce or sell products based on the patent, so the two have no real market competition. According to SFC, the court reopened proceedings because LG Chem had not sufficiently proven its damages.

The timing matters because SFC won preliminary approval for a KOSPI listing in mid-October. It plans to offer 5 million shares at 31,600 to 36,100 won each, raising up to 180.5 billion won. Subscription by institutional and general investors runs November 18 to 19. Japan's Hodogaya is the largest shareholder with 52.96%.