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Some iPhones Could Be Banned in the U.S. Over Stolen Trade Secrets
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BOE Displays. For when you can't develop your own technologies. Come on Apple. Enough of this company already............
It depends on where you get your information from...
$27 billion surplus in month of June
U.S. Posts $27B June Surplus as Tariff Revenues Soar 301%
I guess it does. Your link shows me “451: Unavailable for legal reasons”.
You behind some work firewall? Works for me.
How can using somebody’s ”trade secret” ever be a legal problem? If you want IP protection, you patent what you have. It then becomes public knowledge, but you get a near-monopoly on it for a limited time.
Somebody’s trade secret only becomes your problem is you’re a subcontractor and you signed a contract saying you won’t divulge it. If you leak it or otherwise misuse it, you are in deep ****.
But if you are a completely unrelayed third party, how can it possibly ever become your problem? If you magically figure out the coca cola recipe on your own or your friend does and then you start selling a drink, coca cola can’t do ****. So how is this different?
Somebody’s trade secret only becomes your problem is you’re a subcontractor and you signed a contract saying you won’t divulge it. If you leak it or otherwise misuse it, you are in deep ****.
But if you are a completely unrelayed third party, how can it possibly ever become your problem? If you magically figure out the coca cola recipe on your own or your friend does and then you start selling a drink, coca cola can’t do ****. So how is this different?
Samsung brought the issue to the light back in 2023, yet Apple still opted to use BOE panels.
Ah yes, the tariff that has been paused/reduced left right and center mostly so far has shown catastrophic effects.
I blame Apple for lacking the foresight to diversify asap. Considering what Tim Cook supposed to be good at is logistics, I think such scramble means he failed at his job, at least in that regard.
Quite the contrary I might argue. China is far from finished. Bruised yes but still can hold strong.
Agree. For someone who is supposed to be a supply chain guru, he put all his eggs in one basket and its coming back to bite them.Ah yes, the tariff that has been paused/reduced left right and center mostly so far has shown catastrophic effects.
I blame Apple for lacking the foresight to diversify asap. Considering what Tim Cook supposed to be good at is logistics, I think such scramble means he failed at his job, at least in that regard.
This is a nibble, not a bite. And that’s true not only is Tim supposed to be a supply chain guru but he actually is a supply chain guru. I’d like to see anybody on MR run Apple for a minute and logistically produce hundreds of millions of smartphones a year.
But yeah like the AW, this will get straightened out.
After this apple's going to have to bring display manufacturing in house.
Eh? Having more than one display suppliers (Samsung, LG and BOE) is putting all your eggs in one basket?
Or do you mean not dotting his i's and crossing his t's (not doing his due diligence) caused this problem?
Relying too heavily on China (this isn't an issue with Samsung/LG displays). So mainly not doing his due diligence and once again trying to use inferior/cheaper materials.
A good reason to stick with the WSJ as you linked. The link you couldn't get to is for a site with a right-leaning "mostly factual" bias as noted here. "They often publish factual information that utilizes loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by appealing to emotion or stereotypes) to favor conservative causes. These sources are generally trustworthy for information but may require further investigation." One of those sites that you take with more of a grain of salt than others.
I’m Shocked, shocked I tell that a Chinese company stole intellectual property. It’s their business model.
Some iPhone 15, 16, and 17 models could be banned in the United States amid a preliminary ruling that Chinese display maker BOE infringed on Samsung's OLED trade secrets (via Korea's ETNews).
A preliminary ruling from the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) found that BOE and seven of its subsidiaries violated the U.S. Tariff Act by misappropriating confidential OLED technology from Samsung Display. The ruling recommends both a restricted exclusion order, which would block imports of infringing OLED panels and modules into the United States, and a cease and desist order, which would stop the company from selling existing inventories or suppling future shipments to U.S. assemblers.
The ITC concluded that the infringing products include OLED panels and modules as well as devices and components containing them. Products already manufactured using BOE panels would be exempt from the import ban, but the ruling could have substantial implications for the iPhone going forward.
Some iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 16, 16 Plus, and 16e models sold in the United States today contain OLED displays supplied by BOE. Many of these models are likely to remain on sale after the announcement of the iPhone 17 lineup in the fall, presenting a problem for Apple if the ITC ruling is upheld. The company would need to divert BOE iPhones to other countries and ensure that models on sale in the United States use displays from other suppliers.
It is not yet known if the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air models could contain displays from BOE. Currently, BOE only supplies Apple with displays that do not use more advanced low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) technology, which delivers a variable refresh rate that Apple markets as "ProMotion." The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air are expected to feature ProMotion.
BOE is planning to supply Apple with LTPO displays for the first time this year, destined for iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models sold in China. Apple reportedly plans to restrict the BOE iPhone 17 Pro models to China because they fail to meet its LTPO performance benchmarks. Nevertheless, BOE is aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain.
The ITC's Office of Unfair Import Investigations previously submitted a recommendation in December 2024 supporting Samsung's allegations, calling for an import ban on BOE's OLED displays and the products that contain them. While the ruling remains preliminary, decisions from the ITC rarely change between preliminary and final judgments.
The case stems from a complaint filed by Samsung Display in October 2023, in which it alleged that BOE unlawfully used its proprietary OLED manufacturing technology. Samsung expanded its legal action in April 2025 by filing a civil suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The company is seeking damages related to lost profits, unjust enrichment, and punitive compensation.
If Apple is forced to find a replacement for BOE's role in the its supply chain for U.S. iPhones, orders are likely to shift to Samsung and LG, which already provide OLED panels for a range of iPhone models. A final decision is expected in November 2025, after which the President of the United States will have 60 days to determine whether to approve or veto the Commission's ruling.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Article Link: Some iPhones Could Be Banned in the U.S. Over Stolen Trade Secrets
