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Samsung Mobile Display researchers arrested for leaking AMOLED screen tech to the competition

By Daniel Petrov

Published: Apr 06, 2012, 2:24 AM

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In exchange for $168, 544 in kickbacks, a 46-year-old former researcher at Samsung Mobile Display (SMD) has been arrested in Korea, and 11 other employees detained, for leaking Samsung's "small mask scanning" AMOLED display tech to the competition.

Everybody wants in on the AMOLED gravy train, and the researcher, who left for a rival company in November after being passed for promotion, reportedly also tried to shop the goods to Chinese display makers.

That might explain the sudden accomplishments of a few Chinese screen manufacturers we told yo about not long ago, resulting in not only ramped up AMOLED production, but reportedly also building factories for next-gen OLED technologies, which was attributed to them shifting focus from LCD to OLED as well. Industrial espionage is hardly a punishable offense there, and stealthily even encouraged by the government.

The rival company the SMD researcher moved to, however, might very well be LG, which would explain why both companies unveiled 55" OLED TVs at roughly the same time. Samsung is at the forefront of OLED research, but might not be for long, if its lab efforts keep on leaking like that.

source: Yonhap via Electronista

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.