British inventor Nanoco heads into battle over TV tech with Samsung in Texan court

A UK tech firm is gearing up for a Texan legal fight with Samsung over alleged use of its technology without licensing it.

Nanoco, based in Runcorn, Cheshire, is seeking up to $500m (£425m) in damages from the South Korean tech giant for what it claims is the unauthorised use of its quantum dot technology, used in high-quality televisions.

The company claims in court documents Samsung used its technology without permission and alleges that executives at the conglomerate admitted they did not understand the technology before meeting with Nanoco. Samsung was asked for comment.

Nanoco has brought the case in Texas because it is a large market for televisions in the US and because Texas’s Eastern District is known as a “rocket docket” for the speed of its cases.

Both sides will have a week to persuade eight jurors of their case. This includes time for the jury to deliberate. In Texas, jurors also dictate the award, should there be one.

The trial is slated to start on Sept 12.

Brian Tenner, Nanoco chief executive, said placing the fate of his company in the hands of a jury gathered from the small Texan town of Marshall is risky.

“You could end up holding your head in your hands even if you win,” he said.

Nanoco develops a material that emits light when charged. The colour these particles emit depends on their size. In a TV, this allows for sharper colours. Manufacturers can charge a premium for screens using the technology. Nanoco’s process manages this without the use of cadmium, a toxic metal.

Earlier this month Nanoco announced it would also sue Samsung in Germany, in an effort to stop what Nanoco claims is the use of its technology in the country.

Samsung had the opportunity to buy

Nanoco in 2019 when it was up for sale.

Mr Tenner said: “We are getting to a level of confidence where if Samsung came along and offered a significant premium, we’d say get stuffed.”

The company was spun out of the University of Manchester in 2001 and listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2009. It has a market value of £137m, compared with Samsung’s £260bn.