Samsung Sued by Lepton Computing, Claiming to be the Original Developer of the Foldable Phone

Samsung sued by Lepton Computing LLC (photo: dok. unsplash)

JAKARTA - Samsung is sued by Lepton Computing LLC in the US for allegedly infringing nine patents on its Galaxy folding phone line. The company is seeking material damages.

In addition, Lepton Computing LLC also demands a permanent cessation of sales of Galaxy folding phones in the US. Lepton claims that they are the original developers of folding phone technology with a concept that has been designed since 2008.

Lepton does have a prototype called Lepton Flex, but the device has not been commercially produced. The lawsuit filed by Lepton Flex includes violations of screen protection, hardware structure, to software features for multitasking.

The plaintiffs said that all Galaxy Z Fold and Flip models released since 2021 have infringed their intellectual property rights. Some industry observers have also speculated that Lepton is a patent-hunting entity because it only has two employees and has no public contact.

Companies like this usually just want to make a profit through legal settlements without the intention of producing goods. Fortunately, Lepton's patent was only registered in 2021 so this could be a strong defense for Samsung.

Samsung started selling foldable phones globally two years before Lepton's patent was registered. If this lawsuit is granted, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is threatened with not being able to be marketed in the US market.

The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, which often handles technology disputes. Samsung has not made an official statement regarding its strategy in facing the lawsuit.