Controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2026
German court rules TCL's "QLED TV" advertising is false advertising
Samsung sued TCL's German subsidiary in 2025, alleging that models such as the QLED 870 were marketed as "QLED TVs" despite not using a separate quantum-dot film. In March 2026, the Regional Court of Munich I ruled that this violated Germany's Act Against Unfair Competition and barred the sale of those models under the QLED name in Germany. TCL also faces a similar class action in the United States. TCL's marketing compliance in Europe has been called into question.
2021
German court rules in LG's favor in patent suit against TCL
Ruling
The Mannheim Regional Court ruled in favor of LG in a patent suit concerning standard essential patent EP 2627146 B1. TCL can appeal, and a nullity action seeking to revoke LG's patent was pending at the German Federal Patent Court, so the source does not describe the dispute as fully resolved.
Source excerpt
The Mannheim Regional Court now ruled in favor of the South Korean tech giant. This particular suit was regarding the standard essential patent EP 2627146 B1.
This suit isn’t completely over just yet as TCL can appeal. Also, it is trying to have LG’s patent revoked with a nullity action that is currently pending at the German Federal Patent Court.
2020
ParkerVision files patent complaint against TCL
Lawsuit filed
ParkerVision announced that it filed a complaint against TCL Technology Group and its subsidiary TTE Technology, alleging infringement of nine patents and seeking, among other items, financial damages for use of its patented technologies in TCL products. The complaint requests a jury trial; the allegations are not established as findings in the supplied evidence.
Stated objective. Enforce its patent rights and retrieve compensation for the use of its protected technologies.
Source excerpt
ParkerVision, Inc. (OTCQB:PRKR) announced today that it has filed a complaint against TCL Technology Group of Huizhou, China and its subsidiary TTE Technology, Inc. of Corona, California (doing business as TCL North America), collectively "TCL" for the infringement of nine of its patents.
The complaint, filed in the Central District of California, requests a jury trial to determine, among other items, the financial damages for the unauthorized use in TCL televisions and other TCL products of ParkerVision's patented technologies.
We have filed this complaint to enforce our patent rights and retrieve, for our shareholders, the rightful compensation for the use of our protected technologies.
2019
LG files LTE patent lawsuit against TCL
Lawsuit filed
LG filed a lawsuit against TCL in the German district courts of Mannheim and Dusseldorf, alleging that TCL infringed three LG patents related to LTE technology. The article reports the claims as allegations, not as a court determination.
Source excerpt
Electronics manufacturer LG has filed a lawsuit against a Chinese mobile handset manufacturer TCL. The lawsuit filed in the German district courts of Mannheim and Dusseldorf claims that TCL has infringed several of LG’s LTE technology patents.
LG Electronics has alleged that TCL, a Chinese handset manufacturer, has infringed three of the company’s patents that cover key areas of TLE handsets: minimising the loss of packet transmission, control timers for uplink synchronisation and interference reduction in the uplink synchronising process.
2019
LG sues TCL over LTE patents in Germany
Lawsuit filed
In a controversy involving TCL, LG filed three lawsuits against TCL in Germany, alleging infringement of its LTE technology patents. The reported suits concern packet transmission loss minimization, uplink synchronization control timers, and interference reduction in the uplink synchronizing process. The event was reported on November 11, 2019.
Stated objective. LG said it took legal action to protect its patent technologies.
Source excerpt
LG has filed lawsuits against Chinese handset manufacturer TCL in Germany for infringing its LTE technology patents.
The Korean conglomerate aims to protect these assets and has thus decided to file a lawsuit against TCL in Germany, alleging it's infringing three of its patents.
In a press release by LG, it was stated that the company filed the lawsuit against TCL in the German district courts of Mannheim and Düsseldorf.
2011
Failed European Thomson deal: TTE Europe liquidation brings EUR 23.1 million damages ruling
In 2004 TCL formed the TTE joint venture with France's Thomson; the European business kept losing money and was later liquidated. In 2011 the Commercial Court of Nantes in France ordered TCL Group and others to pay EUR 23.1 million (about RMB 211 million) to TTE Europe's liquidator. The case is regarded as a classic lesson in Chinese companies' overseas acquisitions.